Six Are Accused of Helping Fugitives Escape From California Jail

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/21/us/merced-county-jail-inmates.html

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Six relatives and friends of six inmates who used a rope of braided bedsheets to break out of a California jail this month have been arrested and charged with helping the men escape, the authorities said.

The Merced County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the relatives and friends had “aided” the inmates in their escape, both “during and after their incarceration.”

Four women and two men have been arrested on charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, participation in a street gang and being an accessory to a crime, according to jail records. They were identified as Sonia Montes, 46; Elvira Aleman De Montes, 66; Alexia Hernandez-Ramirez, 20; Arthur Quirarte, 19; Rosario Coronado, 41; and Raheem Hill, 28.

Deputy Daryl Allen, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, declined on Thursday to give details about how they had helped the inmates escape, citing an investigation into the escape and its aftermath.

The six inmates escaped from the Merced County Downtown Jail in Merced, Calif., about 100 miles east of San Jose, late on Jan. 9. They fashioned a rope from braided bedsheets and used it to scale a wall of the jail, the sheriff’s office said.

Members of the jail’s staff noticed that the men, who range in age from 19 to 22, were missing around 8:30 a.m. local time the following day, setting off a manhunt.

Within days, three of the men were back in custody. Edgar Ventura, 22, was arrested in Firebaugh, Calif., about 30 miles south of the jail, the authorities said. Two others — Fabian Cruz Roman, 22, and Andres Nunez Rodriguez, 21 — were arrested by Border Patrol agents near San Diego while trying to cross into Mexico, Deputy Allen said.

Mr. Ventura and Mr. Rodriguez were brought back to the jail, while Mr. Roman was taken to a state prison, Deputy Allen said. All three now face additional charges related to the escape and their activities while on the run, according to jail records and Deputy Allen.

The men still at large are Jorge Barron, 20; Gabriel Francis Coronado, 19; and Manuel Allen Leon, 21.

The sheriff’s office said that the men should be considered armed and dangerous. Mr. Coronado was charged with attempted murder and shooting at an inhabited dwelling. Mr. Leon’s charges are assault with a firearm, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and reckless driving. Mr. Barron was charged with violating his probation.

The sheriff’s office is working with other law enforcement agencies, including the United States Marshals Service and the Justice Department, to track down the remaining fugitives.

The Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of each of the men. The authorities are warning anyone who sees the fugitives not to approach them, but to instead call 911 or the Marshals Service’s tip line, 877-926-8332.