Jail inmate fled from county work crew

An inmate at the Sonoma County Jail escaped from a minimum security work crew Monday and remained at large, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.|

An inmate at the Sonoma County Jail escaped from a minimum security work crew Monday and remained at large, sheriff’s officials said Tuesday.

At about 8:30 a.m., Zephyr Malik Carter, 41, ran away from the North County Detention Facility near the county airport while outside the facility’s secure perimeter working on an agricultural program, Sgt. Cecile Focha said.

Carter was serving a 2-year, 8-month sentence for his part in an identity theft scheme that involved making bogus credit cards in a Rohnert Park hotel room and then using the fake cards at the Graton Resort and Casino outside Rohnert Park and other businesses, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested April 5.

Carter was wearing denim pants and jacket with MADF emblazoned on the back. He was described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and 200 pounds, with brown eyes and hair, a dragon tattoo on his right bicep and angel wings on his left forearm, Focha said.

He has ties to Oakland and his last known residence was at 24682 Lyell Way in Hayward, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The man goes by numerous names, including Cristian Carter, Freddie Zephyr Smith, Marcus Smith and the nickname Malik.

Anyone with information about Carter can call the Sheriff’s Office 24-hour tip line at 565-2185. Callers may remain anonymous.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjreport.

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