Angela Blankenship was found in an orchard after escaping from a probation program.

An Oroville woman who had escaped a probation program after fearing she would be sent back to prison has been sent back to prison for three years.

According to court documents, Angela Blankenship, 31, was sentenced March 22 after slipping off her ankle-bracelet monitoring device and slipping into an orchard, where she hid for more than three weeks.

On Dec. 13, Blankenship was released to a residential treatment program — a form of probation — and on Dec. 23 she was reported missing from the program when her ankle bracelet was found under her pillow.

In her testimony, Blankenship said she was afraid that after breaking the rules of her probation program by having sex with another program member she would be sent back to prison and panicked.

Authorities searched her previous residences until Jan. 18, when she was found living in an orchard.

She was then taken to Butte County Jail for her previous crimes and subsequently charged with felony escape.

On Jan. 22, Blankenship pleaded no contest to the charge. She was sentenced to an additional three years of incarceration.