Authorities are searching for three men who escaped from the Orange County Central Men's Jail in Santa Ana, police said this morning.On Friday, Jonathan Tieu, 20, Hossein Nayeri, 37, and Bac Duong, 43, were found unaccounted for. A search began throughout the jail and the adjacent Civic Center, but it appeared the three had already fled the area, reports KTLA. It's not yet clear how the inmates were able to escape. Preliminary reports say they were last seen sometime early Friday morning.
According to the Press Enterprise, all three were in the jail pending trial. The most high-profile of the suspects is Nayeri, who is accused of kidnapping and torturing a marijuana dispensary owner, which includes reportedly cutting off his penis and pouring bleach on the wound to destroy DNA evidence. Authorities believe Nayeri and his accomplices falsely believed the owner had buried money in a desert. Tieu has been charged with murder, and Duong, attempted murder.
Anyone with information should call the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 714-647-7000, and anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 855-847-6222. The OC Crime Stoppers are offering a $1,000 reward for info that leads to an arrest:
