San Quentin state prisoner escapes, suspected in carjacking

San Quentin State Prison officials said inmate Shalom Mendoza, 21, escaped from the facility on Wednesday night, prompting a manhunt. San Quentin State Prison officials said inmate Shalom Mendoza, 21, escaped from the facility on Wednesday night, prompting a manhunt. Photo: California Department Of Corrections And Rehabilitation Photo: California Department Of Corrections And Rehabilitation Image 1 of / 53 Caption Close San Quentin state prisoner escapes, suspected in carjacking 1 / 53 Back to Gallery

California authorities are looking for an inmate whose escape Wednesday night from San Quentin State Prison has prompted a statewide manhunt.

Shalom Mendoza, 21, was first reported missing around 9:35 p.m. during an inmate headcount.

Mendoza is serving a five-year sentence for use of a deadly weapon during a “carjacking/attempted carjacking” and “evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly,” according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was convicted in Los Angeles County and booked into state prison on Dec. 20, 2017.

Prison officials conducted a search of the grounds following the headcount but did not find Mendoza.

Authorities said he might have carjacked the driver of a Toyota Rav4 who was near the prison grounds. The vehicle’s license plate number is 6STZ502.

Mendoza is 5-foot-5 and weighs 177 pounds. He has short brown hair and brown eyes, officials said.

More than 4,200 inmates are housed in San Quentin State Prison.

Wednesday’s escape was the second from a California state prison in the last week. Law enforcement officers are also searching for 27-year-old Justin Franks, who disappeared Saturday from Folsom State Prison.

Anyone with information of Mendoza’s whereabouts should call 911 or San Quentin State Prison spokesman Lt. Samuel Robinson at 415-455-5000.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu