California

Second Santa Clara County Escaped Inmate Arrested in San Leandro: Sheriff

The second inmate who escaped from a courthouse in Palo Alto earlier this month was arrested in San Leandro on Sunday, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. 

John Bivins, 47, was taken into custody by the United States Marshals nearly three weeks after he and Tramel McClough, who was captured last week, bolted from court in a brazen escape that included getaway vehicles. 

Bivins was taken into custody about 9:30 a.m. in the 16000 block of Foothill Boulevard. Investigators had determined that he was staying at the Fairmont Inn in San Leandro, U.S. Marshal officials said.

He was spotted walking out of the hotel when authorities approached him and demanded him to surrender. Bivins resisted arrest and was forced into custody, officials said.

McClough, 46, was arrested last Tuesday in Stockton following a chase and shootout involving California Highway Patrol officers, but Bivins managed to escape.

McClough was in a Stockton courtroom Monday sitting next to none other than Randall Saito, another escapee who fled a Hawaii psychiatric hospital Nov. 12, flew to San Jose and was captured three days later in Stockton.

mcclough_saito_1127_907051
NBC Bay Area
Tramel McClough (left) and Randall Saito in Stockton court Monday for unrelated fugitive cases. (Nov. 27, 2017)

McClough's bail was set at $50,000. 

Bivins managed to evade authorities a bit longer.

On Nov. 21, at about 5:15 p.m., CHP units attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle on northbound Interstate 5 south of Eight Mile Road. A short chase ensued onto southbound Trinity Parkway, where McClough exited, ran into a Walmart store and was later apprehended, the CHP said.

The passenger, Bivins, fled in the vehicle on southbound Trinity Parkway, where an officer fired shots just south of McAuliffe Road, the CHP said.

Bivins continued to flee in the vehicle on northbound Trinity Parkway.

On Nov. 6, Bivins and McClough, who were being held without bail after robbing a Verizon store, were leaving a courtroom when they made a beeline for the exit, hopped in a getaway car, drove a few blocks and jumped into a van before fleeing the area, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

Additional charges could be filed against Bivins in both state and federal courts, including escape, felon in possession of a firearm, attempted murder of a federal agent and state peace officer.

Meanwhile, Saito is being held without bail and is fighting extradition back to Hawaii. He was undergoing an identity hearing Monday, and if a judge determines that he is the man Hawaiian authorities are looking for, extradition will be automatic, and he'll be shipped back to Hawaii, a court official said.

Both Saito and McClough are scheduled to return to court Dec. 5.

NBC Bay Area's Robert Handa and Henry Mulak contributed to this report.

Contact Us