Murder suspect accidentally freed from jail returns willingly

SALINAS, Calif. - A murder suspect released from a Northern California jail by mistake last week has turned himself in.

The Monterrey Herald reports that Antonio Miranda Martinez was let out of a jail in Salinas on Thursday because of a paperwork error just hours after a court appearance.

Sheriff's office spokesman Cmdr. John Thornburg says the 36-year-old man showed up to the jail's main lobby on Monday.

Thornburg says a possible reason for his return is that he knew he was wanted. Investigators had few leads on his location, but his mug shot was widely distributed to media outlets and border patrol authorities.

Martinez's pending trial is set to be rescheduled. He is charged with killing a 47-year-old man in March.