A woman who left a transitional reentry program in Northern California has voluntarily returned to custody at a Southern California prison. Authorities report that Serena A. Moreno-Carrera walked away from the Female Community Reentry Program (FCRP) facility in Sacramento County over the weekend. The specific time of her departure was not disclosed.
Early Monday morning, Moreno-Carrera turned herself in at the California Institution for Women in Chino. How she traveled from Sacramento County to San Bernardino County remains unclear.
Moreno-Carrera was originally sentenced in Yolo County in August 2021 to eight years and eight months for several charges, including mayhem, vandalism, vehicle theft, and hit-and-run causing injury.
The Female Community Reentry Program is designed to help eligible inmates transition from prison back into the community by providing support and resources during the final part of their sentences. To participate, individuals must be within two and a half years—and no less than 60 days—of their earliest possible release date. In addition to Sacramento County, the program operates centers in San Joaquin, Kern, San Diego, and two locations in Los Angeles County.
According to state corrections officials, nearly all individuals who have left adult institutions or community-based programs without authorization since 1977 have eventually been located and returned to custody.