Inmate Walks Away on North Coast, June 23

An adult in custody walked away Monday, June 22, 2020, from South Fork Forest Camp (SFFC) in Tillamook. Brandon Sykes walked away from a work crew near the summit of Highway 6 at approximately 11:35 a.m.  Brandon J. Sykes, 35, is a white male, 5 ft. 9 in., weighing 195 lbs. with green eyes and brown hair. Sykes was last seen wearing blue jeans with the word “inmate” stenciled on the knee in orange, a blue T-shirt, sweatshirt, and coat similarly stenciled. Sykes entered DOC custody on June 13, 2016, on several counts of assault and kidnapping out of Columbia County. His earliest release date was October 18, 2021. The Oregon Department of Corrections Fugitive Apprehension Unit and the Oregon State Police are investigating. Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts should contact the Oregon State Police at 1-800-452-7888, the non-emergency number of their local police department, or the Oregon Department of Corrections Fugitive Apprehension Unit at 503-569-0734. SFFC is minimum-security work camp that houses approximately 200 adults in custody who are within four years of release. Part of SFFC’s mission is to supply a ready work force to combat forest or wild fires throughout the state. Crews provide critical support for statewide fire operations, recreation, and reforestation; as well as provide support for special projects such as sign making, metal fabrication, and tool or equipment repair. SFFC was established in 1951 and is a satellite facility to CRCI and managed jointly with the Oregon Department of Forestry. It is located approximately 28 miles east of Tillamook, just off of Highway 6 along the Wilson River in the Tillamook Forest.