Convicted Killer Escaped From Oregon Psychiatric Facility Arrested in Pasadena

Pasadena police Tuesday arrested a convicted murderer who had escaped from a psychiatric facility in Pendleton, Ore. three weeks ago.

Thaddeus William Ziemlak, 36, was arrested in a motel room shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday night, Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts said Wednesday.

Ziemlak was found guilty except for insanity in 2004 for shooting and murdering his mother at their home in Eugene, Ore. He had previously been convicted twice for escaping from psychiatric facilities.

Quoting Roberts, the Pendleton-based East Oregonian news outlet reported Ziemlak was arrested without incident and is currently being held in California on a temporary 48-hour warrant.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. online booking records show Ziemlak is being held without bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles on a felony charge.

The East Oregonian also said the Umatilla County, Ore. District Attorney’s Office is working on issuing a permanent warrant and beginning the extradition process as soon as possible.

“Obviously, the No. 1 priority is taken care of in that he’s in custody and no longer a threat to any communities,” Roberts told the East Oregonian. “There’s a lot of moving parts to get him back here, and still even more work to be done when he’s back in Oregon.”

After leaving the morning of January 5 on an unsupervised trip, Ziemlak never returned to Salmon Run, a residential treatment facility in Pendleton, the report said.

The report also said Roberts now believes Ziemlak planned the escape because Ziemlak left the facility without his phone, medications and other personal items.

Ziemlak is believed to have eventually crossed state lines into California and then purchased a bus pass that took him further south into the state.

With help from the Pendleton community, Ziemlak’s family members, mental health service providers and other law enforcement agencies, Pendleton was able to track Ziemlak’s movements and later confirmed the convict’s location in Pasadena.

Roberts said he thanked the Pasadena Police Department, which he said was unlike many larger municipal agencies and offered complete and immediate support as soon as they were notified about Ziemlak.