MENDOCINO CO., 5/4/25 – An inmate was apprehended at a local casino after escaping from custody on Sunday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
According to CDCR, Donavan Bacon walked away from Parlin Fork Conservation Camp #6 in Jackson State Demonstration Forest east of Fort Bragg.
Around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, CDCR special agents with support from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Bacon at Coyote Valley Casino in the unincorporated community of Redwood Valley.
The camp is co-operated by CDCR and Cal Fire to provide incarcerated hand crews to support wildfires and flood response. The casino is approximately 38 miles west of the camp by foot.
Bacon was sentenced to six years for second degree robbery with an enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon, CDCR said. He served time in San Bernardino County for over a year before moving to the camp in February.
He is being moved back to prison while his case is being referred to the Mendocino County District Attorney.
According to the CDCR, 99 percent of inmates that escape or walk away from custody are apprehended.