An inmate escaped a rehabilitation program, ditching his GPS tracker and taking off in San Diego, confirmed state officials.
The authorities are searching for 24-year-old Quincy Crawford, who fled the Male Community Re-entry Program (MCRP) facility on Thursday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
While he was attending a college class, Crawford cut off his GPS device and disappeared, said CDCR spokesperson Krissi Khokhobashvili.
On the same day, CDCR officials were notified at about 2:30 p.m. that Crawford's GPS device had been tampered with. It happened around the same time that he was last seen exiting the MCRP facility on an approved pass to attend college courses.
The GPS device was discovered abandoned in a parking lot, tossed near a trash can at a fast food restaurant, said CDCR officials.
Local law enforcement agencies were immediately alerted that Crawford escaped, according to CDCR. Within minutes, CDCR agents took off to search for Crawford.
Crawford was described as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 171 pounds, said CDCR officials. He was serving a 6-year sentence for two counts of burglary in the first degree and pimping as a second striker. He arrived at CDCR in January 2015 and was transferred to the MCRP last May.
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He was scheduled to be released on probation in April 2018, according to CDCR.
If anyone has information about Crawford or his whereabouts, they can call law enforcement or 911.
The MCRP allows eligible offenders to transition back into the community with helpful programs and tools. Male offenders with about one year left to serve can volunteer for the program, said CDCR officials.
The facility is not a secure area, with no electrified fence surrounding the location. Inmates live in open houses with staff around 24/7, while wearing the GPS devices, said Khokhobashvili. They earn different privileges as they go through the program, such as going to school, having a job and visiting family.
Crawford will face escape charges and could have time added to his sentence, said Khokhobashvili.
