‘Dangerous’ Escaped California Inmate Detained

Caleb Lee Duerr. Plumas County Sheriff's Office

An inmate who escaped from the Plumas County Jail in Northern California has been apprehended at his residence in Johnsville.

According to a press release from the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, 39 year-old Caleb Lee Duerr was arrested on Oct. 17 after the office received information that Duerr may have returned home. When he was spotted there, the Special Weapons Tactics Team, Investigations Unit, and other local agencies worked together to recapture him.

They called Duerr out and he surrendered, resulting in his safe return to custody. He was moved to Plumas County Jail and held without bail.

Caleb Lee Duerr. Plumas County Sheriff's Office

Duerr escaped the jail on Sept. 27 at around 8:15 a.m. during a scheduled recreation period. He broke two fences surrounding the recreational area to the O’Reilly Auto Parts store next door.

There, he was able to get a ride from a man at the store. The man told authorities that he dropped Duerr off at Highway 70 and County Road A-23 near Beckwourth.

All available officers along with allied agencies including the California Highway Patrol and Washoe County dispatched K-9 units and air ops to find Duerr. At around 8:35 a.m., the Plumas Unified School District was told about the jailbreak.

The sheriff’s office then notified the public about the inmate on the loose. They received several reports of spotting Duerr in various areas between Quincy and Portola, but officers dispatched to those locations confirmed they were misidentified as Duerr.

A new correctional facility in the area has been built, but no inmates have been moved over yet. Duerr was held in the old jail.

According to the sheriff’s office, when he was on the loose, Duerr was contacting others, which suggested he had access to a phone or computer with internet access.

Duerr has friends and family in California, Oregon, and Nevada, opening the possibility that he had left the area to seek their help.