Manhunt On For LA Carjacker Who Escaped From San Quentin Prison

LOS ANGELES, CA - A statewide manhunt is on for a Los Angeles carjacker who escaped from San Quentin State Prison Wednesday night.

Authorities believe 21-year-old Shalom Mendoza escaped the maximum security prison and carjacked a driver to make his get-away. During an an institutional check at about 9:35 p.m. Wednesday, Mendoza was discovered missing from an out-grounds support facility, said Lt. Samuel Robinson of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The prison activated its emergency operations and escape pursuit plan to try and find him, Robinson said. It didn’t take long for investigators to realize that a nearby motorist was carjacked at the time of the escape.

Prison officials believe Mendoza may have carjacked a motorist who was driving a Toyota Rav4 with a California license plate 6STZ502. According to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations Press Secretary Vicky Waters, a positive identification is still being confirmed on the suspect who stole that vehicle near the prison Wednesday night.

Mendoza entered the prison system Dec. 20, 2017 to serve a five-year sentence for use of a deadly weapon during a carjacking or attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly in Los Angeles County.

Mendoza is described as 5-feet-5 inches tall, 177 pounds, with short brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone who sees Mendoza or knows his whereabouts was asked to call local law enforcement or 911 immediately.

City News Service and Bay City News contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of the CDCR