Rogelio Chavez, an inmate who escaped from Santa Clara County jail a week ago, is in custody Wednesday night after sheriff’s deputies spent hours with a neighborhood surrounded.
Chavez, 33, of San Jose, escaped from Main Jail South on the night of Nov. 23, sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Glennon said.
The investigation led deputies to conduct numerous operations, including one near Coy Park, Glennon said.
Reverse 911 calls were sent out to area residents alerting them to law enforcement in the area, Glennon said.
Chavez was booked into jail on Aug. 17 for burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest and firearms violations, sheriff’s Glennon said.
The 33-year-old man is Hispanic, stands about 6 foot 1 inch tall and weighs about 190 pounds. He has a facial tattoo above and below his left eye, according to Glennon.
Deputies have scheduled a news conference to release additional details about Chavez’s arrest for 10 p.m. tonight at the Main Jail South.
A second inmate, Laron Campbell, 26, of Palo Alto, was recaptured around 10 p.m. Tuesday when deputies searched the home of his sister, Marcaysha Alexander, 24, who was arrested on suspicion of harboring a fugitive, Santa Clara County Undersheriff Carl Neusel said at a news conference this morning at sheriff’s headquarters in San Jose.
On Monday, detectives were tipped off that Campbell was in Antioch and determined he was staying with his sister in the 1000 block of James Donlon Avenue, Neusel said.
Detectives notified the U.S. Marshals Service, which conducted surveillance of the residence for several hours and verified Campbell was there, according to Neusel.
They served a warrant with Antioch police at the home, where Campbell was hiding in the attic and fell down through the ceiling to the ground, where he was taken into custody without further incident, according to Neusel.
Campbell was booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail in San Jose without bail and Alexander was taken to the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, where she remains in lieu of $250,000 bail, according to online jail records.
Campbell, Chavez and two other inmates were able to leave the jail by cutting bars to a second-floor window and descended outside the facility with bed sheets and clothes, sheriff’s officials said.
The other two inmates were quickly apprehended outside the jail at West Hedding and North San Pedro streets, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the escape and believe there were no significant policy violations based on their review of multiple documents, Neusel said.
The cutting tools used in the escape haven’t been found, the undersheriff said.
Detectives have received a steady stream of tips since Sheriff Laurie Smith announced a $20,000 reward last week for information leading to the capture of both inmates, sheriff’s officials said.
It’s not clear how the money will be divided up for who gave the tip that resulted in Campbell’s arrest, Neusel said.
The tips surrounding Chavez’s whereabouts led detectives to a Days Inn at 8292 Murray Ave. in Gilroy on Monday and Inman Way in San Jose on Tuesday, sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Glennon said.
As a result of the investigation in Gilroy, Emily Vaca, 35, of San Jose, was arrested for allegedly driving Chavez around the county, Glennon said.
Vaca was arraigned this afternoon at the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill on a felony charge of being an accessory to a felony and two allegations related to prior prison time, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Janet Berry said.
If convicted, the defendant faces five years in jail, according to Berry.
Vaca’s bail was set at $70,000 and scheduled to return to court Dec. 9 for a plea hearing, Berry said.
Anyone with information is asked to call sheriff’s investigators at (408) 808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.
Last modified December 1, 2016 12:00 am
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