An inmate who walked away from his post while working to put out the Canyon Fire 2 in Orange County last month has been taken into custody in the San Fernando Valley, officials announced Wednesday.
Armando Castillo, 31, walked away from the area where he and other inmates were working near Peters Canyon Regional Park Oct. 15. He was last seen about 4:45 p.m. that day before being apprehended on Tuesday in the San Fernando Valley, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said in an updated news release.
He was taken into custody at a motel in Mission Hills about 11:40 p.m. and taken to the California Institution for Men in Chino. A woman who was with Castillo when he was apprehended was arrested on suspicion of helping him escape.
Castillo had previously been sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a firearm and evading police while driving recklessly, according to CDCR. He was scheduled to be released on probation in May 2018.
Castillo’s latest case will be presented to prosecutors, who will determine charges. He will no longer be eligible to be housed in a fire camp.