Deputies Looking for Parolee Find Him in a Spring Valley Canyon; Helicopter Called in to Lift Him Out

A parolee who failed to report to his parole agent had to be airlifted out of a canyon in Spring Valley Friday after sheriff's deputies and a California state parole agent found him drunk and wearing a soft cast on one of his feet, according to the sheriff's department.

The parolee, Jack Messina, is a “person of interest” in a 1995 homicide case in Texas, according to the sheriff's department. He was arrested Friday and booked into county jail on a parole violation after being evaluated at Alvarado Hospital.

At 9 a.m., deputies from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Station were asked to assist a parole agent in locating Messina, whose GPS tracking device showed its battery was running low.

The trails at the canyon on Sweetwater Springs Boulevard and Jamacha Boulevard where they contacted Messina were very wet and muddy due to the recent rainfall. With one of Messina's feet in a soft cast and the muddy terrain, the decision was made to bring in a helicopter to lift him out, the sheriff's department said. 

According to a press release issued by the sheriff's department, Messina is a “person of interest” in a 1995 cold case out of San Antonio, Texas. No other information was released.