Inmates Recaptured: What Were the Security Lapses?

Inmates Recaptured: What Were the Security Lapses?

Now that three violent inmates who escaped from a California jail are back in custody, the focus will turn to how they were able to saw, crawl and climb their way out of a maximum security facility.

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said she was elated to announce the arrests of the inmates, eight days after they had successfully escaped from the facility. The tough work was only getting started, as the investigation will now focus on how the inmates were given the opportunity to achieve success in their escape plot.

Early on Jan. 22, the trio sawed through a metal grate covering a plumbing tunnel, and then crawled through piping to reach the jail’s roof. There, they pushed aside barbed wire and used a rope made of bed sheets to rappel four stories to the ground.

Authorities are now interviewing the inmates, hoping to fill the many holes about the escape and their week on the run. How did they procure the sharp cutting tools to hack their way through the jail walls? What did they do outside the walls? Where did they stay? How did they get money for food and gas?

The three did not know each other before being assigned to the Orange County jail. They were all there awaiting trial on charges including murder, attempted murder, torture and kidnapping. While behind bars, the three were housed together in a large jail module that also housed about 65 other men, about half of whom are also in custody for violent felonies.

Employees of the facility did not realize that the inmates were missing for up to 16 hours, an embarrassment for Hutchens that has prompted changes in jail operations, but no firings.

In a letter sent to Hutchens on Jan. 29, the head of deputies union said his members complained nearly a year ago that department policy on inmate counts was not being followed. It is noted that the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs received “push-back from jail management with the justification that ‘This is the way we have always done it,’”

Tom Dominguez, the president of the association, calls from the dismissal of Capt. Chris Wilson, who runs the jail. Others have declined to comment until the investigation is complete.

The investigation so far has uncovered that Nooshafarin Ravaghi, a 44-year-old children’s book author and close friend of suspected mastermind of the jail break, Hossein Nayeri, gave Nayeri a paper copy of a Google Earth map that showed an aerial view of the entire jail compound. She was booked on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony and was being held pending a court appearance set for Feb. 1.

While the investigation continues the three will now return to the jail from which they escaped. "I can tell you they won't be together," Hutchens said.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dies After Utah Valley University Shooting

    Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, died Wednesday after being shot during an on-campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.