A convicted killer who escaped from the Daggett County Jail has pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

Juan Carlos Diaz-Arevalo, 27, pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony escape charge during an appearance in Manila's 8th District Court. Court minutes indicate that during his initial appearance on the charge on Oct. 26, Diaz-Arevalo met for 45 minutes with his court-appointed defense attorney and then pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.

After pleading guilty to the escape charge, Diaz-Arevalo asked the judge to sentence him, the court minutes said. Judge A. Lynn Payne sentenced Diaz-Arevalo to serve up to five years in the Utah State Prison, to run consecutive with the sentence he is already serving for the 2005 shooting death of his girlfriend, Lindsey Fawson.

Police said Diaz-Arevalo and Danny Gallegos, 49, both convicted killers, escaped from the Daggett County Jail in late September, hiding out in the mountains along the Utah-Wyoming border until they were captured six days later.

Authorities said the pair broke into a trailer owned by a retired police officer, tied him up and stole his SUV. The man managed to free himself and get help.

The escaped inmates were finally captured after leading police on a high-speed chase that ended in Rock Springs, Wyo., where Gallegos was shot. Both men are now back in the Utah State Prison.

The escape prompted a security review of all county facilities that contract with the Utah Department of Corrections to house state inmates. Only recently, inmates have been returned to the Daggett County Jail after a number of security changes at the rural Utah facility.

Gallegos is still facing an escape charge in 8th District Court, but no court appearance has yet been scheduled. A federal grand jury has also indicted the men on charges of felons in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and carjacking.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com