A 31-year-old Oahu Community Correctional Center inmate at the Laumaka Work Furlough Center now faces escape charges after failing to return to the prison on New Year’s Day.

William Choi was on a work release program and scheduled to return at 5:15 a.m. New Year’s Day, but failed to do so.

He was arrested when he returned 11:15 a.m. Thursday after being on the loose for 19 hours.

Choi was serving time for kidnapping and first-degree terroristic threatening.

Police released him pending further investigation, and he returned to the work furlough center.

He now faces a charge of second-degree escape.