Inmate caught minutes after walking away from fire camp in El Dorado County
A 40-year-old inmate at the Growlersburg Conservation Camp in El Dorado County was apprehended Wednesday, just “minutes” after he walked away from the facility.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said camp staff realized Jose F. Zamora was missing during a head count at 7:40 a.m.
Camp staff apprehended the missing inmate “minutes later” near the site, according to a CDCR release, and took him into custody without incident. Zamora will now be housed in a state prison rather than at the camp, which trains nonviolent inmates to deploy to wildfires.
Zamora arrived at Growlersburg Conservation Camp on Dec. 29. State corrections officials said he was convicted of second-degree robbery in Los Angeles County and sentenced to two years.
His unsuccessful escape came about a month after another inmate, Juan David Veramancini, walked off the same CDCR camp near Georgetown before an evening head count. Veramancini, who disappeared from the facility on Feb. 23, remains at large.
About 99% of inmates since 1977 who have escaped or walked away from a CDCR adult institution, camp, in-state contract bed or Community Rehabilitative Program Placement have been located and apprehended, according to the release.
Zamora’s escape attempt was referred to the El Dorado Attorney’s Office for possible charges, according to CDCR officials.
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 7:45 AM.
