Authorities are searching for an inmate who walked away from a conservation camp in Inyo County Tuesday morning.
Ashiel Bahar, 37, was discovered missing from the Owens Valley Conservation Camp around 3 a.m., the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) stated in a news release.
“Staff immediately launched a search of the camp buildings and grounds,” the CDCR stated.
Bahar, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs about 247 pounds, was not located on the camp’s grounds.
He was said to be wearing either gray sweatpants and a gray T-shirt, or orange pants and an orange long-sleeve shirt.
The CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety, Cal Fire and local law enforcement agencies are all assisting in the search.
Bahar was sent to the camp from San Diego County on Nov. 1, 2023, to serve a four-year sentence for first-degree burglary, using the ID of another person to obtain personal identifying information, grand theft firearm, grand theft exceeding $950 and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, the CDCR stated, adding that Bahar is a second striker.
Owens Valley Conservation Camp is jointly operated by CDCR and Cal Fire, the CDCR states on its website.
“The camp’s primary mission is to provide incarcerated hand crews to support local, state, and federal agencies in their response to emergencies such as fires and floods. Camp participants also complete community service and conservation projects year-round,” the website says.
Anyone who sees Bahar is asked to contact either the Conservation Camp commander at 760-387-2686 or any law enforcement agency or call 911.