Authorities in California are searching for a man convicted of first-degree murder who escaped custody by jumping from a prison van while being transported to a court appearance.
Cesar M. Hernandez, 34, fled shortly after arriving at Kern County Superior Court in Delano Monday morning.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Hernandez jumped out of a prison transport van around 10:45 a.m. and left on foot.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, he had not yet been found.
Special agents from the nearby CDCR prison are currently searching for Hernandez with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Delano and McFarland police departments.
Cesar M. Hernandez, 34, is pictured in a CDCR mug shot on September 20, 2024 (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)
Hernandez is listed as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing approximately 160 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing an orange prison uniform.
He was convicted of first-degree murder in Los Angeles County and has been in state prison since June 2019. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Anyone who sees Hernandez or has information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact incident commander Lt. Anthony Sotelo at 661-721-6300, ext. 5506.
CDCR officials say that over the past 47 years, 99% of all offenders who have escaped state prison custody have been successfully apprehended.
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