Fugitive California Prisoner Apprehended at Coyote Valley Gambling Resort
Nabbed at the Casino After Brief Escape from Prison
Date: May 6, 2025, 03:17h
Last Updated: May 6, 2025, 03:17h
Author: Phil Conneller
A convicted armed robber's luck ran out fast when he attempted an escape from a California prison and ended up at a casino.
Meet Donovan Bacon, 36, a man serving a six-year sentence for armed robbery with a weapon enhancement. On Sunday, he vanished from the Parlin Fork Conservation Camp #6 in Jackson State Demonstration Forest - a minimum-security prison facility. Remarkably, he managed to travel 38 miles west to the Coyote Valley Casino on the Coyote Valley Pomo Reservation within just four hours.
It's uncertain why Bacon chose to hide at the casino, given their high surveillance. However, it's not uncommon for fugitives to seek refuge at nearby gaming venues when they escape. Some possibilities might include:
- Anonymity: Large crowds can provide a temporary sense of anonymity, making it harder for authorities to spot them.
- Financial Opportunities: Casinos offer potential quick wins, especially for someone with limited resources.
- Accessibility: The familiarity and constant activity of casinos could make them a comfortable temporary hideout.
- Escape: The excitement and distraction of gambling could provide a brief respite from the stress of their situation.
However, this behavior is speculative and not supported by extensive psychological studies. More likely, convicts are captured at casinos because of their predictability as locations rather than a chosen escape strategy.
History has shown us examples of cross-country crime sprees by escaped convicts. In 2012, James Misleveck and James Newman, who were serving time for weapons charges, sexual assault, burglary, theft, and arson respectively, broke out of the Black River Correctional Center in Jackson County, Wis. After a spree of carjacking and forcing a woman into their vehicle at gunpoint, they were eventually captured at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
With just six months and 30 days remaining on their sentences, this daring duo received additional 15 years each. The allure of a casino, it seems, can have unexpected consequences.
- Donovan Bacon, a man serving a six-year sentence for armed robbery, was captured at the Coyote Valley Casino in California, following a brief prison escape.
- Bacon, a convict, vanished from the Parlin Fork Conservation Camp #6 in Jackson State Demonstration Forest but managed to reach the Coyote Valley Casino, despite the high level of surveillance.
- The CDCR (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) is investigating why Bacon chose the Coyote Valley Casino as a hiding place, considering the high level of surveillance in casinos.
- The Coyote Valley Casino proved to be a predictable location for Bacon's capture, as it is common for fugitives to seek refuge in nearby gaming venues such as casinos.
- Bacon's case is reminiscent of the 2012 incident involving James Misleveck and James Newman, who escaped from the Black River Correctional Center in Wisconsin and were eventually captured at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
- The allure of casinos can have unexpected consequences, as evidenced by the long sentences received by Misleveck and Newman, who had just six months and 30 days remaining on their sentences.
- California inmates, including Bacon, are placed in minimum-security prison facilities for rehabilitation purposes, but some, like Bacon, take advantage of the opportunity to escape.
- Rehabilitation is an essential part of the CDCR's mission, but the happenings at the Coyote Valley Casino reminded the public that crime and justice are recurring topics in California's general news, including crime-and-justice segments.
- The California inmate's capture at the Coyote Valley Casino, a prominent Las Vegas-style casino and gambling venue, serves as a reminder that such establishments can become venues for pursuing not just casino-games, but also crime.