Southern California suthorities seek 3 inmates – and answers about their escape

LOS ANGELES – Authorities hunting three dangerous escapees from a maximum-security jail in Southern California called on the public’s help to find them Sunday, offering $50,000 in rewards and saying they still don’t have all the details of the elaborate escape plan.

The three men, including an alleged killer, cut and climbed their way out of the Orange County Men’s Central Jail in Santa Ana, about 40 miles southeast of Los Angeles, sometime after the 5 a.m. Friday head count, authorities said.

They weren’t discovered missing for about 16 hours.

The escapees include 20-year-old Jonathan Tieu, who had been held on a $1million bond since October 2013 on charges of murder, attempted murder and shooting at an inhabited dwelling. His case is believed to be gang-related.

Another escaped inmate is Hossein Nayeri, 37. He had been held without bond since September 2014 on charges of kidnapping, torture, aggravated mayhem and burglary. Nayeri and three other men are accused of kidnapping a California marijuana dispensary owner in 2012. They drove the dispensary owner to a desert spot where they believed he had hidden money and then cut off his penis, authorities said.

The third escaped inmate, 43-year-old Bac Duong, was being held without bond since last month on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm and other charges.