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Inmate Who Escaped Sylmar Work Camp Captured In Hollywood

SYLMAR (CBSLA) – A California state prison inmate who walked away from a work camp in Sylmar early Monday morning has been caught in Hollywood.

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A February 2019 photo of Fernando Deras, an inmate who walked away from a Sylmar work camp on April 29, 2019. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Fernando Deras, 31, was discovered missing during an inmate count just before 1:30 a.m. at the Holton Fire Camp, located in the 1260 block of North Little Tujunga Canyon Road, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

At 5:20 p.m. Monday, he was captured by CDCR agents in the area of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. He was taken to the California Institution for Men in Chino.

Last July, Deras began serving a four-year sentence for corporal injury on a specific person or persons. He was considered a minimum-security inmate.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office will determine whether to bring additional charges against Deras.

The Holton Fire Camp has about 80 inmates who do work including wildland firefighting, rescuing stranded drivers and clearing debris after storms.

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