Marcus Garcia celebrated release from jail in Los Angeles County Monday after serving time for felony petty theft by apparently swiping a pair of inmate jumpsuit pants on his way out the door.

The next day, Garcia was chased through the parking lot of a Stevenson Ranch Walmart by an off-duty L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy, who thought he had an escaped prisoner on his hands, while another department employee phoned in a 911 call from a different vantage point. What they had was a free man with an inordinate fondness for wearing jail apparel.

Garcia was arrested, clad in the blue pants, without incident and transported back to jail, where he was booked for possession of stolen property.

The 22-year-old suspect had finished serving time for his 180-day sentence at downtown Los Angeles’ Men’s Central Jail and was re-arrested near the Pitchess Detention Center, 41 miles away. Pitchess was put on lockdown during and shortly after Garcia’s dash.

–Ken Broder

To Learn More:

Freed Inmate Back Behind Bars after Allegedly Stealing Jail Pants (by Ann M. Simmons, Los Angeles Times)

Jail Pants In Public Results in Arrest at Gunpoint of Recently Released Inmate by Off-Duty LASD Santa Clarita Valley Deputy (Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department)

Recently Released Inmate Arrested at Stevenson Ranch Walmart (City News Service)