Calaveras County Jail escapee found through use of Stanislaus County sheriff’s helicopter
A Calaveras County Jail inmate climbed over razor wire earlier this month, only to be rearrested Tuesday in Valley Springs, about 10 miles away.
Larry Albert McDonald, 41, of San Andreas, was found and arrested around 7 p.m. Feb. 14 after multiple law enforcement agencies began searching for him at 3 p.m. that day, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook. No one was hurt in the search and capture.
McDonald escaped the jail during his supervised duties Feb. 2, according to a news release.
Calaveras County deputies and probation officers and the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force were investigating the 400 block of Highway 26 when McDonald fled from a trailer into a wooded area, according to the release.
Police established a perimeter between Highway 12, Quail Oaks Road, Mangili Road and Highway 26, sheriff’s Lt. Greg Stark told The Bee.
Several community members reported sightings of McDonald, Stark said.
During the search, authorities requested air support from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. It was able to assist with a helicopter equipped with thermal imaging technology, which is helpful in low-visibility situations, according to the press release.
The helicopter noted the first sign of McDonald around 6:30 p.m., so authorities were able to search a smaller area. McDonald tried to evade capture at that time, but the aircraft kept all officers updated in real time, Stark said.
“(Stanislaus) provided, hands down, the best equipment,” Stark said. The helicopter allowed officers to keep a safe distance as they approached McDonald, he said.
McDonald originally was arrested by Calaveras deputies in September. He was booked on the charges that originally put him in jail and for previous warrants from the San Joaquin Superior Court.
In Calaveras, he is being charged with felony possession of a weapon, disobeying a court order and possession of drugs.
Upon his rearrest, police discovered McDonald had warrants for three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, felony possession of a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm.
