Authorities have caught a convicted murderer who was on probation but cut off his GPS ankle monitor and disappeared while attending classes at an Orange County community college.
Jose Angel Aguilar, 22, was found around 11 p.m. Thursday and taken into custody without incident after Anaheim SWAT officers executed a search warrant at a motel room where the youth had been observed, according to the Orange County Probation Department.
Aguilar fled Tuesday from Santiago Canyon College while on a court-approved academic furlough from a juvenile probation facility, according to the Orange County Probation Department.
A juvenile court granted a furlough for Aguilar in February, allowing him to leave custody weekly to attend college courses, officials said.
But probation officials had asked the court to revoke the arrangement several days ago after what they described as potential violations. No details were provided.
“On March 10, 2026, Jose Angel Aguilar, a youth wearing a GPS device and on a court-ordered furlough, cut off his GPS device and absconded while attending classes at Santiago Canyon College,” the department said in a statement.
Aguilar had been serving time in an Orange County juvenile facility for a murder committed in 2021, authorities said.
The community college’s District Safety & Security office issued a RAVE Alert out of an abundance of caution, said Eugene Fields, a public information officer for Santiago Canyon College.
“There was no identified threat to the campus community, and campus operations continued normally,” Fields said.
The college is reviewing coordination and notification procedures related to the program and will continue working with appropriate partners to support campus safety, according to Fields.
Probation officials said they requested the court vacate the furlough program on March 6, but the request was not approved before Aguilar fled.
The incident has drawn concern from some local officials.
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner said he first heard about the educational furlough program when he learned Aguilar had cut off his ankle monitor and fled.
The county has limited authority over the program because decisions about educational furloughs are made by the courts, according to Wagner.
“We had no say. It’s state law and the decisions come from the court,” Wagner said.
Wagner said he has spoken with the Orange County district attorney about reviewing the program and is exploring whether legislation could update or potentially eliminate it.
“I hope they rethink the program,” he said. “I don’t like the risk it puts my community at.”
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