A convicted robber who escaped a California reentry program has been captured in Las Vegas. Dijon Barber was found nearly two weeks after he walked away from the Male Community Reentry Program in Los Angeles County on April 12.
Barber was serving a four-year sentence for robbery, theft from an elder or dependent adult, and grand theft when he left the facility. His escape marked him as at least the ninth person to flee from a California reentry program this year.
Authorities reported that Barber was apprehended by the North Las Vegas Criminal Apprehension Team. While details about how he traveled over 250 miles to Las Vegas remain unclear, officials confirmed he was taken into custody without incident.
Just a day before Barber’s escape, another man, Deshon Daniels, was captured in Los Angeles after leaving a reentry program. Most of the individuals who have escaped from these programs since January have been located and returned to custody.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) oversees these reentry programs, which aim to help incarcerated individuals transition back into society and reduce the chances of reoffending. To qualify for such programs, individuals must have between 60 days and 32 months left on their sentences.
Currently, there are three facilities in Los Angeles County and others in Fresno, Butte, Kern, and San Diego counties. The state plans to expand these programs to cover every county by this summer.
Following his capture, Barber was booked into a Nevada county jail and will be sent back to California. His case is being referred to the Los Angeles County district attorney for possible escape charges.