Idaho inmate fighting California wildfires back in custody

BOISE – An Idaho inmate who went missing for three hours Friday after authorities said he walked away from an inmate fire crew battling a California wildfire is back in custody.

The Idaho Department of Correction in a news release said 37-year-old Angelo Manuel Diaz disappeared just before noon near the town of Sonoma.

Officials said a Napa County sheriff’s deputy found Diaz three hours later.

Officials said Diaz told authorities he got lost while on a bathroom break.

Idaho officials said Diaz is part of a 19-member inmate crew accompanied by two correctional officers who have been based at a fire camp in Santa Rosa, California, since Oct. 14.

Earlier this year Diaz was sentenced to about three and a half years in prison for possession of a controlled substance.