Inmates apprehended after escaping from Humboldt County conservation camp

Two inmates were located and apprehended over the weekend after walking away from a detention camp Friday night in Humboldt County, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Derek Barnett, 29, and Noah Wilson, 28, were both missing from an inmate count around 9:45 p.m. at the Eel River Conservation Camp, a minimum security camp in Redway, according to a CDCR news release.

CDCR special agents found Barnett around 11 a.m. Sunday exiting an apartment complex in Ukiah, and took him into custody without incident. Agents also arrested a Ukiah resident, Harley Colvard, who will face charges relating to aiding and abetting an inmate’s escape and harboring a fugitive, according to the news release.

Around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, California Highway Patrol officers located Wilson during a traffic stop along Interstate 5 near Fort Tejon. Officers arrested Wilson without incident.

The CDCR news release described the escapes as being two separate incidents.

Barnett was serving a 56-month sentence for vehicle theft and firearm possession and was scheduled to be paroled in December 2020. He served as a porter at the camp. Wilson was serving a 48-month sentence for drug possession with intent to sell. He was set to be paroled in April 2021.

Eel River Conservation Camp is a prison camp with a main focus of preparing inmate fire crews and various other programs in conjunction with local volunteers.

This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 1:32 PM.