Authorities apprehend incarcerated man who walked away from reentry program
Authorities have located and arrested an inmate who walked away from a reentry program in Kern County Thursday morning.
Demetrius Branson, 50, was reported missing from the Male Community Reentry Program facility around 11 a.m. after he apparently removed his GPS monitoring device while visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles.
A news release issued by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation described Branson as being 5 feet 11 inches, 181 pounds with brown eyes and black and gray hair.
Not long after that release was sent out, CDCR announced that Branson had been apprehended that same day around 5:40 p.m. in Bakersfield.
He’s since been transported to North Kern State Prison and is likely to face new charges related to his escape.
According to CDCR, Branson was moved to the reentry program in April to serve the remained of a four-year, eight-month sentence for corporal injury, grand theft, vehicle theft and failure to appear.
The Male Community Reentry Program allows people incarcerated in state prison to serve the end of their sentences in a reentry center. The program is supposed to make the transition back into civilian life smoother and provides resources like housing, family reunification and employment support.
The program is voluntary and CDCR says 99% of all people who have walked away from similar adult institutions and programs have been safely apprehended.
The MCRP was established in 2015 and can be found in four California counties, including three facilities in Los Angeles County.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
