A convicted burglar who targeted Newport Beach homes walked away from a state prison camp in February and spent nearly six months on the run before the Orange County Sheriff's Department caught up with him.

Juan David Veramancini, 49, was arrested Aug. 19 on suspicion of first-degree burglary and possession of stolen property, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced. He had escaped Growlersburg Conservation Camp near Georgetown in El Dorado County on Feb. 23 during an evening head count.

Veramancini was part of a burglary ring that broke into homes across Southern California, including in Newport Beach, Laguna Hills, San Juan Capistrano and Rancho Santa Margarita. The ring was also linked to 18 break-ins in Thousand Oaks between June and August 2021, according to City News Service reporting.

The crew's run ended in August 2021 when suspects were caught during a break-in in the 1600 block of Antigua Way in Newport Beach. A police pursuit followed, ending when the getaway car slammed into a deputy's patrol car.

Veramancini pleaded guilty on June 13, 2024, to 14 felony counts of burglary and was sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Orange County Superior Court judge, over prosecutors' objections. He had already accumulated 2,068 days of credit for time served before accepting the plea deal.

At sentencing, one victim described how burglars stole a coin collection worth $6,253 that had been amassed over 50 years by the victim's deceased father. The collection was never recovered.

"We have lived in our house for 29 years and have always felt safe and secure until the burglary," the victim wrote in a statement read at the June 2024 sentencing. "Seeing the smashed glass door and the video images of people entering our house, running up the stairs, and rummaging through our belongings is a horrible violation that has caused ongoing anxiety, as well as many sleepless nights and nightmares."

CDCR transferred Veramancini to state custody on July 1, 2024. He was assigned to Growlersburg, a minimum-security conservation camp where eligible inmates train to fight wildfires and perform emergency service work.

Staff discovered him missing at approximately 8 p.m. on Feb. 23 and immediately notified law enforcement, according to the CDCR escape announcement. He was at large for nearly six months before his arrest in Orange County.

Following arraignment on the new charges, Veramancini will be returned to CDCR custody and housed at a state institution, the department said. His case has also been referred to the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office for consideration of escape charges.

No arraignment date on the new Orange County charges has been publicly announced. Residents with information about property crimes can contact the Newport Beach Police Department at (949) 644-3717.