SAN QUENTIN – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are asking the public for assistance in locating an inmate who escaped from San Quentin State Prison (SQSP) on the evening of Dec. 26.

Inmate Shalom Mendoza was reported missing during an institutional count at approximately 9:35 p.m. CDCR officials immediately conducted a search of the surrounding area. Notification was made to local law enforcement agencies and CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety. Mendoza is believed to have carjacked a victim not far from the prison. Authorities are looking for a Toyota Rav4, California license plate number 6STZ502.

Inmate Mendoza, 21, is a Hispanic male with short brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 177 pounds. He was received by CDCR from Los Angeles County on December 20, 2017 with a five-year sentence for use of deadly weapon during a carjacking/attempted carjacking and evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly.

Anyone who sees Mendoza is asked to immediately contact law enforcement or call 911. If a member of the public has any information on the whereabouts of inmate Mendoza, they should contact Lt. Samuel Robinson at (415) 455-5000.

Since 1977, 99 percent of all offenders who have left an adult institution, camp, or community-based program without permission have been apprehended. San Quentin State Prison, California’s oldest prison, opened in 1852, houses more than 4,200 inmates and employs 1,870 people.