6 Inmates Escape California Jail Using ‘Homemade Rope,’ Officials Say

Six inmates, including one murder suspect, have escaped from a California jail by using what authorities say was “homemade rope” Sunday, officials said. The six individuals should be considered armed and dangerous, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.

“On January 10, 2021, the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Jail Staff determined that just before midnight, six inmates housed at the Merced County Downtown Jail were missing from their cell.  A preliminary investigation has determined that the inmates were able to gain access to the roof of the facility and utilize a homemade rope to scale down the side of the jail,” the Merced County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.

The sheriff’s office said in their statement that they have “formed a task force to track down and apprehend these fugitives.  Anyone with information or anyone who sees any of these individuals is asked not to approach them and to immediately call 9-1-1.”

The six suspects who escaped were identified as Jorge Barron, 20, of Atwater, California; Gabriel Francis Coronado, 19, of Atwater; Manuel Allen Leon, 21, of Vallejo, California; Andres Nunez Rodriguez Jr., 21 of Planada, California; Fabian Cruz Roman, 22 of Los Banos, California; and Edgar Eduardo Ventura, 22 of Portland, Oregon, CBS News reported.

"You should never approach them unless you're law enforcement. We've given a critical reach BOL — Be On the Lookout — to all of our law enforcement communities so that they can do it. If you're not trained law enforcement, do not approach them," Sheriff Vernon Warnke told CBS San Francisco. "Do not take this into your own hands. Just give us a call and we will take it on at that point. No sense in anybody getting hurt."

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