SAN DIEGO – An inmate who escaped Sunday night from a minimum-security area at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa turned himself in Tuesday at his sister's residence in San Diego, authorities said.

Manuel Casillas, 24, surrendered to an agent from the Office of Correctional Safety about 2 p.m., said Lt. Michael Stout, a prison spokesman.

Casillas was convicted in June 2006 for second-degree burglary and was scheduled to be paroled Oct. 25.

Stout said OCS agents “conducted a nonstop investigation” in the attempt to find Casillas.

“It was after Casillas realized his options were limited that he chose to turn himself in,” Stout said.

Media exposure about the escape “is believed to be the determining factor in his decision to surrender,” said Warden Robert Hernandez.

Prison officials said Casillas escaped between 6 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday. He was last seen at the 6 p.m. inmate count.

The prison houses about 4,700 minimum-, medium- and maximum-security inmates.

Stout said minimum-security inmates are housed on the west side of the prison behind a 6-foot fence. That area is outside of an electrified fence and razor wire that circles housing areas with higher-risk inmates, he said.

---