GEORGETOWN, Calif. — A 40-year-old incarcerated person was apprehended within minutes after walking away from the Growlersburg Conservation Camp on the morning of April 1, according to state corrections officials.
Jose F. Zamora was reported missing at approximately 7:40 a.m. during a routine head count conducted by camp staff. Officials immediately initiated an emergency count, confirming Zamora was unaccounted for and triggering a rapid response.
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Within minutes, staff located Zamora near the facility and took him into custody without incident. Authorities confirmed he never left the immediate vicinity of the camp.
“The individual was quickly located by staff and apprehended without incident,” the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement, emphasizing that no threat to the public occurred during the brief incident.
The agency’s Office of Correctional Safety had been directed to assist in the search, though their involvement was ultimately unnecessary due to the swift resolution.
Background and Consequences
Zamora had been serving a two-year sentence for second-degree robbery out of Los Angeles County. He was received into state custody on Aug. 25, 2025, and transferred to Growlersburg on Dec. 29, 2025.
Following the incident, corrections officials said Zamora will be removed from the conservation camp program and rehoused at a traditional state prison. His case has also been referred to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office for possible escape-related charges.
Second Escape Remains Unresolved
The incident comes amid heightened attention at the facility following a separate escape in February that remains unresolved.
Authorities continue to search for 49-year-old Juan David Veramancini, who walked away from the camp on Feb. 23 after being discovered missing during an 8 p.m. headcount. Unlike Zamora, Veramancini successfully left the facility grounds and has remained at large for more than five weeks.
Veramancini was serving a 10-year sentence for first-degree burglary stemming from a 2024 residential break-in in Newport Beach. He has been in state custody since July 1, 2024.
Officials describe him as 5 feet 5 inches tall, approximately 152 pounds, with brown eyes. Though typically black-haired, he was reported bald at the time of his escape. He was last seen wearing an orange beanie and jacket, with either orange pants or gray sweatpants.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation urges anyone with information on Veramancini’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement or call 911. Information may also be provided directly to investigators at 916-210-9159.
Despite the ongoing search, CDCR officials note that the vast majority of individuals who walk away from conservation camps are eventually apprehended.
