As the manhunt widens, more details have emerged about a “dangerous” inmate who escaped from a Northern California jail on Friday.
On Sept. 27, at around 8:15 a.m., inmate Caleb Lee Duerr, 39, escaped from the Plumas County Jail recreation yard by breaking through two fences and fleeing to a nearby O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Quincy, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Outside the store, he got a ride from someone who later told police he dropped Duerr at Highway 70 and County Road A-23 near Beckwourth, around 35 miles from the jail. Duerr was last seen walking south on the county road near some gravel pits.
After notifying the public about the escaped inmate in a social media post that included a photograph and description, the sheriff’s office received numerous calls about sightings of Duerr between Quincy and Portola, though none proved to be him. Dogs and aircraft were also brought into the search to no avail. The California Highway Patrol, authorities from four counties and numerous state and federal agencies have now joined the search.
The only clue to Duerr’s whereabouts has come in the form of some online activity, the sheriff’s office said: “Since his escape, Duerr has made contact with individuals by email suggesting he has either obtained a phone or access to a computer with internet service.” Duerr has family and friends in California, Oregon and Nevada, and investigators believe he may be seeking help from them.
Duerr was serving time on a range of charges, including domestic violence and false imprisonment, reports the Plumas Sun.
This is reportedly not the first time Duerr has been the subject of a search in Plumas County. In 2008, Duerr and his brother were rescued by sheriff’s deputies after heading out into the remote Dixie Valley to “test their winter survival skills” in a storm. After not returning on the expected date, an overnight search found them after a total of five days in the snowy wilderness. The report of the rescue in the Sacramento Bee mentioned that Duerr had military experience.
Duerr is 6-foot-1, weighs 165 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing dark blue jail-issued clothing.
“He is considered violent and dangerous,” the sheriff’s office said. “We request the public to not contact or assist Duerr if they have contact with him.”
Anyone who believes they have seen Duerr is asked to call 911.
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