Caleb Duerr, an inmate who escaped Sept. 27 from the Plumas County jail, is still at large despite a multiagency four-day search.
The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office has been using allied agencies with K-9 units and air operations in an effort to locate Duerr, said Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns.
Duerr is considered violent and dangerous. He had been held at the Plumas County jail for several months on a range of charges, including felony domestic violence with great bodily injury, criminal threats and false imprisonment, said Chandler Peay, public information officer with the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office.
Duerr is a white male, 6 feet 1 inch tall, 165 pounds. He was wearing dark blue jail-issued clothing at the time of his escape.
He was last seen walking south on County Road A-23 from State Route 70 near Beckwourth in Sierra Valley, according to Peay.
Duerr escaped Sept. 27 from the jail’s recreational area, managing to manipulate two fenced areas and flee next door to the O’Reilly Auto Parts store, Peay said. Once there, he was able to immediately get a ride from a subject who was at the store.
The man who gave him a ride dropped him off at State Route 70 and County Road A-23 near Beckwourth. He was near the gravel pits between 9:30 and 10 a.m. on Sept. 27, Peay said.
The sheriff’s office staff began sending out notifications to the public of the escaped inmate, which generated several reports of seeing Duerr in various areas between Quincy and Portola. Patrol staff responded to these potential sightings, but all proved to be misidentification, said Peay.
The K-9 units did not pick up a scent in the area of A-23 and air operations were not successful, Peay said. Units from Plumas, Sierra, Butte and Yuba counties, California Highway Patrol and the U.S. Forest Service, along with air operations from the California Highway Patrol and Washoe County, Nevada, continued to search for Duerr throughout Sept. 27 with negative results.
Since his escape, Duerr has contacted individuals by email, suggesting that he has either obtained a phone or access to a computer with internet service.
Any member of the public who has contact with or a sighting of Duerr should contact the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office at 530-283-6300 or call 911.
Information provided by Plumas County Sheriff’s Office with additional reporting by Jane Braxton Little
