Eel River Conservation Camp Inmate Apprehended Less Than 24-Hours After Escaping
Randy Heldstab [Photo provided by the CDCR]
Inmate Randy Heldstab, 39, was last seen at 7:15 p.m. on February 1. A search of the Eel River Conservation Camp failed to locate the 6 feet tall, 230-pound inmate last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt and orange CDRC pants.
The CDRC press release stated, “[Heldstab] was admitted from Stanislaus County on July 7, 2022, to serve a seven-year, four-month sentence for possession of a firearm, buying/receiving stolen vehicle/trailer/construction equipment, controlled substance in prison/jail and manufacture/sale/possession of a short-barrel shotgun or rifle. He was scheduled to be released from CDCR custody in September 2024.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies were notified of the escape.
Heldstab was located in Patterson around noon on February 2 and taken into custody by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office. He will be transported to the Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown by CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety.
Due to his escape, Heldstab is now ineligible to participate in the fire camp program and may face additional charges stemming from the escape.
According to the CDCR, “Since 1977, 99 percent of all people who have left an adult institution, camp, or community-based program without permission have been apprehended.”
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Curious with that record how was he eligible to begin with?
Non-violent charges
The CDCR inmate classification process was changed, to make more inmates eligible for the conservation camps. There are inmates in camps now that would have never been considered, in past years.
What a mess bro!
They always go to the girlfriends house… Always. You’d think for once people would realize that and NOT go to their girlfriends house. You know, the one who you’ve been writing every week, and talking to on the phone regularly. The person that the CDCR has her address on file and is well aware who she is and where she lives. Sheesh.
The escape charge tacks another year minimum onto his sentence, but that’s not the worst part. He won’t be able to go back to fire camp, where he was getting 1/3’rd time. So only having to do a third of his sentence. Now he will likely be bumped up to 1/2 time or possibly 85%. Just turned a 2 year bid into a 6 year bid. Dumb.
Spent 10 months at camp Ishi. Payne’s Creek. Near Red Bluff. Guys from L.A. would have their girlfriends drive up, park near the perimeter, and meet them after the 10:00pm count in the pool/ping pong room. No fences. They would come back in, 3 or 4 in the morning, smelling like perfume and alchohol. No joke!
A friend of mine went to Ishi camp about 6-8 years ago. He said (all things considered) that it was pretty awesome. Real food. Decent human being guards/fire staff, and they responded to a lot of fires. So they were always working. Made his time go by very quickly.
Ya, he said they had people dropping off tobacco, weed, cell phones, and alcohol all the time. Someone would just pull up, drop it off in the middle of the woods in a sealed bag, and at night one of them would run “out of bounds” and go grab it…. If you are going to be doing time. Fire camps are the place to do it.
So the community wasn’t notified to look out for an escapee until 24 hours later?
Why would he want anything to do with you? They probably knew he hopped in a waiting car and got TFO. Maybe you are confusing Fire Camp with Pelican Bay.
Something the community should
know. There are no locks to keep inmates there. 1 guard during g the evening. CHP response could be an hour. Sheriff response, well you know that already.
11pm-7am one officer, girlfriends house or mom’s most of the time, 30 minutes for responding help usually.
Fire camp=modern day slave labor. Gotta love it
Yeah right. Volunteer slaves. Now this one is ineligible for volunteer slavery.
Best tattoos ever!
Clever looking fella
Perfect timing for mr heldstab to enter with all the knife play going on. Good thing they caught him or he may have been mr held stab stab stabbity stab. At some point in his escape
Eyebrow tattoos. Face tattoos. How does this guy expect to not be spotted by LEO or someone in the community?
WANT SOME (good home cooking)
GET SOME
He warned us
Don’t make eye contact.
You really screwed up Randy. Had a chance for a second there. Try to do better this time, OK?