Escaped Prisoner Captured in Lemon Grove

An inmate who made a New Year’s Day escape in a fire engine from Donovan State Prison is on his way back to the lockup after being captured Tuesday morning by Lemon Grove sheriff's deputies, according to sheriff's Sgt. Chris Steffan.

Thomas Francis Kelly, 51, was taken into custody at 9:27 a.m. at the Massachusetts Avenue trolley station in the 1700 block of San Altos Place after deputies conducting a security check of the upper parking lot recognized Kelly as a possible match to the fugitive, Steffan said.

Deputies questioning Kelly said he was evasive about giving his name or date of birth, according to Steffan, but that his identity was eventually confirmed with a photograph, and he then admitted to being the convict.

Another person with the fugitive at the time of his capture was released, Steffan said.

The minimum-security inmate, who was serving time for a parole violation stemming from a 2008 auto-theft conviction, was reported missing during a head count about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Lt. Patrick Logan, a spokesman for the state corrections system.

Prison guards said Kelley, a member of a prison firefighting crew at the Otay Mesa penitentiary, went missing shortly before sheriff's personnel saw a fire engine being driven erratically through Spring Valley.

The emergency vehicle later was found abandoned outside a 7-Eleven store at Jamacha Road and Elkelton Boulevard, Gilmore said.

Kelly had been scheduled for release in December 2013, Logan said.

—City News Service contributed to this report.