California's crackdown on an escaped convict has ended with success early this morning in San Diego. Officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) nailed down Eric Lewis, a 52-year-old who tried to dodge the law by walking away from the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) in San Diego.

According to a CDCR press release, Lewis was picked up without a hitch at approximately 8:55 a.m. in the vicinity of where he split the scene at around 9:12 p.m. the previous night. Before being apprehended, he was transported to Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility for reception, the authorities reported, notching another fugitive behind bars.

The CDCR detailed that Lewis's criminal history includes convictions for transporting/selling a controlled substance and possessing/owning a firearm as a felon or addict. Swinging through the justice system's revolving door, he landed a sentence of three years eight months back on May 10, 2023, and enrolled in the reentry program from San Diego County on January 29.

San Diego District Attorney's office will be ringing the bell for possible escape charges on Lewis's account, the CDCR affirmed. The man’s latest escapade could see him facing a new set of legal hurdles besides his initial sentence, which was meant to be served concurrently with a three-year term for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to sell.

The CDCR boasts a near-perfect track record of reeling in 99 percent of all individuals who have attempted to escape from an adult institution, camp, or community-based program since 1977. It appears that Lewis, much like most of those who try to slip away, found that the long arm of the law has a tighter grip than he anticipated.