State prison officials are searching for 49-year-old Miguel Banuelos after he walked away from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp in Nevada County on July 4. Camp staff realized he was gone during a 2 p.m. count, after he was last seen at about 12:35 p.m., and authorities have warned the public not to approach him. The search remains active as local and state investigators coordinate on tips and follow-up calls.
According to a CDCR news release, Banuelos was received from San Diego County on July 23, 2025 and is serving a seven-year sentence for transportation or sale of a controlled substance and possession or purchase of heroin or cocaine exceeding four kilograms. He was scheduled for release on April 20, 2028. CDCR said camp staff searched the grounds, initiated escape procedures and notified local law enforcement after they could not locate him.
CDCR described Banuelos as 5 feet, 7 inches tall, about 189 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. The agency also tried to reassure the public, noting that “99 percent have been apprehended” in similar walkaway incidents, according to its CDCR statement. The release lists contact information for Lt. Wayland Hanks and OCS Special Agent Tim Keeney for anyone with information.
How conservation camps work
Conservation camps are minimum-security programs that pair incarcerated crews with fire agencies to fight wildfires and perform local conservation projects while under supervision. CAL FIRE says the joint program places crews on fire assignments and community projects across the state, with custodial and fire personnel sharing oversight. For more on the program, see CAL FIRE.
Past walkaways end quickly
Washington Ridge has seen walkaways before. In July 2024 an offender who left the camp was found and taken back into custody within about 24 hours, a reminder that these searches often wrap up quickly once tips start coming in. That recapture was reported by CBS Sacramento.
Legal consequences
Leaving custody can carry separate criminal exposure. Under California law, escaping or attempting to escape from custody, including from road or conservation camps, can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the circumstances and may add time to an inmate's sentence, according to Justia.
Anyone who sees Banuelos or has information about his whereabouts should call 911 or the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and avoid approaching him. Tips can also go to Lt. Wayland Hanks at (916) 200-6127, OCS Special Agent Tim Keeney at (916) 210-9159, or be emailed to [email protected].
