An accused murderer who removed his GPS monitoring device while attending classes at Santiago Canyon College on a court-approved program and walked off the campus was taken into custody two days later at an Anaheim motel on Thursday night, March 12, authorities said.
Jose Angel Aguilar, now 22, has been serving time in a juvenile facility since 2021, when he was accused of murder, according to the Orange County Probation Department. He was at Santiago Canyon College on Tuesday, March 10, when he removed his GPS monitoring device and furtively walked off campus, the agency said.
The department said Aguilar was arrested about 11 p.m. Thursday, March 12, by SWAT officers with Anaheim police, who served a search warrant at a motel room in Anaheim after Aguilar was spotted nearby. He was taken into custody without incident.
The juvenile court allowed weekly, academic furloughs so Aguilar could attend classes at the college beginning on Feb. 2, the Probation Department said. Despite a March 6 request by the department to have the furloughs vacated because of “recent, potential violations,” the court continued to allow Aguilar to go to class.
Santiago Canyon College officials, in a statement, confirmed Aguilar had removed the monitoring device while on campus on Tuesday.
“District Safety & Security issued a RAVE Alert out of an abundance of caution,” the statement said, referring to a system that alerts staff members and students by text or email. “There was no identified threat to the campus community, and campus operations continued normally.
“The college is reviewing coordination and notification procedures related to the program and will continue working with appropriate partners to support campus safety,” the statement said.
One student, who told CBS LA she attended a psychology class with Aguilar, said she never saw any security with him while he was on campus.
“They say you never know when a murderer is sitting next to you,” the student, who wished to stay anonymous, told the station. “It’s bizarre to know it’s real.
“They should make it obvious, have security with him,” she continued. “This is a criminal. Of course you have the privilege to study. He was a (teenager). His brain was not fully developed. People could change, and I hope he does.”
The station reported that Aguilar had been convicted of murdering a romantic rival when he was a minor in Anaheim. The Probation Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to messages requesting confirmation of the conviction.