BEAUMONT, Texas — The search for a federal prison escapee continues. Juan Covarrubia-Mendiola is one of four inmates who got out of the Beaumont Federal Correctional Complex Saturday.
The three others who escaped were found that night and are back in custody. A release from the prison said the staff noticed Covarrubia-Mendiola was loose at around 11 p.m.,about five hours after the other three were discovered missing.
40-year-old Covarrubia-Mendiola was described as a white male with brown hair, brown eyes, 5'11" tall, and around 190 pounds. He was serving an almost 6 year sentence for bringing cocaine and undocumented immigrants into the United States.
The release said Covarrubia-Mendiola and the three other escapees were being held at the "Satellite Prison Camp", a minimum security part of the Beaumont Federal Complex. The satellite prison camp currently holds 534 male offenders in Beaumont.
Katie Ramsey lives a couple of miles from the prison with her husband and four kids. She said inmate escapes are a risk that comes with living so close.
"We just take the precautions of making sure our doors are locked, and windows are locked and just kind of watching our surroundings if we go outside at night," said Ramsey.
Ramsey said she has total confidence in local law enforcement to keep them safe.
12News has reached out to a spokesperson for the prison for more information on how the inmates were able to get out, and if the government shutdown was a factor. So far, we haven't been able to get them on the phone.
Last week, Christopher Boss, president of the federal correctional officers union, told 12News officers are concerned about the impact of the ongoing shutdown.
"When you get distracted, and you get upset, and you make mistakes behind those penitentiary walls you can get injured, you can get other people injured, and it can cost lives," said Boss.
Monday, he declined to comment on the recent escapes.
Anyone with any information on Covarrubia-Mendiola's whereabouts is asked to call the United States Marshal's Service at (713) 718-4800
From a Federal Bureau of Prisons news release.
Inmate Walk Aways from Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, TX: On Saturday, January 12, 2019, at approximately 6:10 p.m., three inmates were discovered missing from the Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont, Texas. Shortly after identifying the missing inmates, all three inmates were taken back into custody and returned to the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas.
At approximately 10:50 p.m., inmate Covarrubia-Mendiola was discovered missing from the Satellite Prison Camp in Beaumont, Texas. Mr. Covarrubia-Mendiola is a 40- year old White male with brown hair, brown eyes, 5’11” tall and weighs approximately 190 pounds. The United States Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies were notified and an internal investigation was initiated. Anyone with information related to this individual should contact the United States Marshals Service at (713) 718-4800.
Mr. Covarrubia-Mendiola was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to 69 months for Importing a Quantity of Cocaine; Possessing with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine; Conspiracy to Violate 8 U.S.C. 1324 (A) (1) (A) (II); and Bringing in Illegal Aliens.
The Satellite Prison Camp at FCC Beaumont is a minimum security facility that currently houses 534 male offenders in Beaumont, Texas. Additional information about the Federal Bureau of Prisons can be found at www.bop.gov.