GEORGETOWN —An incarcerated individual who walked away from Growlersburg Conservation Camp in El Dorado County was quickly located and returned to custody Wednesday morning, April 1, 2026, following a swift response by staff and state agents.
According to officials, the incident began at approximately 7:40 a.m., when camp staff discovered during a routine head count that Jose F. Zamora was unaccounted for. Staff immediately initiated an emergency count to verify his status, confirming that Zamora was no longer present at the facility.
Following the confirmation, agents from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Office of Correctional Safety were directed to respond and assist in locating Zamora. The coordinated effort unfolded rapidly, with staff actively searching the surrounding area of the camp.
Within minutes of the initial discovery, camp staff located Zamora near the facility and took him back into custody without incident. Authorities confirmed that no injuries were reported during the incident and that Zamora did not leave the immediate vicinity before being apprehended.
Zamora will now be rehoused at a state prison, and his case is being referred to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of escape-related charges.
Zamora, 40, was received from Los Angeles County on Aug. 25, 2025, after being sentenced to two years for second-degree robbery. He had been housed at Growlersburg Conservation Camp since Dec. 29, 2025.
Growlersburg Conservation Camp is part of California’s conservation camp program, which assigns eligible incarcerated individuals to assist with fire suppression and other public service work. Despite the lower-security setting of such camps, officials emphasize that walk-away incidents are relatively rare and are typically resolved quickly.
According to CDCR data, since 1977, approximately 99 percent of incarcerated individuals who have escaped or walked away from an adult institution, conservation camp, in-state contract bed, or community rehabilitative program placement have ultimately been apprehended.
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