Three escaped inmates from Orange County jail remain on the run
A trio of inmates escaped from Orange County Central Men's Jail on Friday.
Jonathan Tieu, 20, Bac Duong, 43, and Hossein Nayeri, 37, were all discovered missing at the downtown Santa Ana facility about 9 p.m., after they cut through at least four layers of steel and rebar to reach the facility's roof, from which they rappelled down.
It remains unclear how the inmates obtained the tools needed to cut through layers of rebar. No staff have been suspended and officials said they had not turned up any evidence that jail personnel played a role in the escape.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies search for clues Saturday at the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana, where three inmates went missing. “This appears to be a very sophisticated operation,” Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said of the escape.
(Kevin Warn / Associated Press)
Orange County sheriff's deputies search for clues Saturday at the Central Men's Jail, where three inmates went missing. "This appears to be a very sophisticated operation," Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said of the escape.
(Orange County Sheriff's Department)
A search revealed a hole behind some beds. It was the Santa Ana jail's first escape in nearly 30 years.
(Orange County Sheriff's Department)
Jail staff were conducting a count of inmates Friday night when they came up three short. A search of the facility revealed the makeshift rope, made from bedsheets and spare cloth, and a rectangular hole cut into a steel screen behind some beds.
(Orange County Sheriff's Department)
A rope made from bedsheets was among the items used in the escape. Investigators are trying to determine how the men executed the getaway undetected.
The inmates may have removed razor wire from a parapet, center rear, and used a rope-like line, right, to repel to the ground during their Jan. 22 escape.
(Orange County Sheriff's Department)
The inmates may have removed razor wire from a parapet, center rear, and used a rope-like line, right, to repel to the ground during their escape sometime Friday.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies and a search dog look for the escaped inmates early Saturday.
(Kevin Warn / Associated Press)
Orange County sheriff's deputies and a search dog investigate early Saturday morning.
The Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana, built in 1968, houses more than 900 inmates.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
The Central Men's Jail, built in 1968, houses more than 900 inmates.
Officials from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department appealed Monday to the public for any leads on the whereabouts of three dangerous escapees from the Orange County Jail.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
Officials from the Orange County Sheriff's Department are appealing to the public for any leads they can provide on the whereabouts of three dangerous escapees from the Orange County Jail.
The inmates who escaped are, from left, Hossein Nayeri, 37, who is charged with kidnapping and torture; Jonathan Tieu, 20, who is charged with murder; and Bac Duong, 43, who is charged with attempted murder. Duong turned himself in to authorities on Friday. The other two remain at large.
(Orange County Sheriff's Department)
The escaped inmates are Hossein Nayeri, 37, from left, who is charged with kidnapping and torture; Jonathan Tieu, 20, who is charged with murder; and Bac Duong, 43, who is charged with attempted murder.
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