An incarcerated woman, Erica N. Ybarra, who left a Los Angeles reentry program unauthorised on June 13 was captured the following afternoon in El Monte. Ybarra, 37, had been serving her sentence for second-degree robbery at the L.A. County Female Community Reentry Program before her departure was noted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

Officials reported that she removed her ankle monitor and left the facility, prompting search efforts by the CDCR staff. Ybarra had been a part of the reentry program less than a month, since May 15, under a plan to finish out her two-year sentence. As KTLA reports, her ankle monitor was found near the facility.

Following her apprehension at around 3:45 p.m. in El Monte, Ybarra was taken into custody without incident and is set to be transported back to the California Institution for Women. Her escape will now be referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, as authorities determine the next steps in her legal process.

The reentry program from which Ybarra walked away is designed to aid eligible offenders in making a smooth transition back into the community. It offers access to resources addressing substance use disorders, mental health care, and employment, among others. According to CDCR's official announcement, the program is voluntary for female offenders who are nearing the end of their sentences.

Despite incidents like Ybarra's, CDCR states that since 1977, 99 percent of individuals who have left such programs without permission have been successfully recaptured.