Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

FBI joins search for Plumas County escaped inmate still on the loose

Caleb Duerr, the inmate who escaped from Plumas County Jail. He was last seen around 9 a.m. in Sierra Valley, Calif. and is considered dangerous.
Plumas County Sheriff’s Office
Caleb Duerr, the inmate who escaped from Plumas County Jail. He was last seen around 9 a.m. in Sierra Valley, Calif. and is considered dangerous.

Authorities are still on the lookout for an escaped inmate who broke out of Plumas County Sheriff’s custody on Sept. 27.

The sheriff’s office and several other law enforcement agencies from neighboring jurisdictions are joining in the search for Caleb Duerr.

Duerr was in jail for domestic violence charges.

Duerr was last seen Monday morning walking along County Road A-23 in Sierra Valley.

Plumas County Undersheriff, Chad Herman, said a warrant is out for Duerr’s arrest in all 50 states.

“It's basically a nationwide search at this point,” he said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service and California Highway Patrol are providing support in the search.

It’s unclear exactly how the inmate escaped. A press release from the sheriff’s office Monday said Duerr manipulated two fences to make his escape.

“It's chain link fencing,” Herman said. “And they were damaged to the point where he was able to move the wiring around to scoot through.”

The county’s district attorney’s office told NSPR that Duerr now faces felony escape charges on top of his already existing domestic violence charges.

Herman said Duerr could be dangerous.

“Any inmate, whether it's a felony or a misdemeanor … under certain circumstances, they could be dangerous if they felt cornered, if they felt trapped,” he said. “It's hard to gauge that any inmate is dangerous when they're out and about and they shouldn't be.”

The Plumas County Sheriff asks residents to contact authorities if they have any information about Duerr’s whereabouts.

Erik began his role as NSPR's Butte County government reporter in September of 2023 as part of UC Berkeley's California Local News Fellowship. He received his bachelor's degree in Journalism from Cal State LA earlier that year.