Escaped Inmate Convicted In Violent IE Crime Captured In LA County

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — An escaped inmate convicted of a violent crime in the Inland Empire was captured over the weekend.

Marcelo S. Caparrotta, 53, was found shortly before 7:30 a.m. Sunday in Valencia. He was discovered missing at 9:40 p.m. Thursday from the Francisquito Conservation Camp in Santa Clarita, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Friday morning, CDCR issued a news release asking for the public's help in finding Caparrotta. There was no word from prison officials on what led to his capture. CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety, Los Angeles County Fire, and local law enforcement agencies were notified about the escape and assisted in the search, according to the CDCR.

Valencia is a neighborhood in Santa Clarita.

Caparrotta was admitted from San Bernardino County on June 30, 2022, to serve a six-year sentence for injury to an elder causing death/great bodily injury. He is a second striker, the CDCR reported.

Caparrotta's case was forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for consideration of escape charges, according to the CDCR.

Francisquito Conservation Camp is one of six minimum-security prison camps in Los Angeles County. Inmates housed at the camps support state, local and federal government in emergencies such as fires, floods and other natural disasters.