13 Inmates Escape From Mexicali Jail
Fugitives Dig 52-Foot Tunnel
MEXICALI, Mexico -- One inmate was captured Friday and 12 more were still on the loose after they dug a 52-foot-long tunnel and escaped from a jail near the U.S. border three days before.
The inmates in the central jail in Mexicali, a border city about 120 miles east of San Diego, crawled to freedom Tuesday.Jail authorities discovered the escape about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday."Unfortunately, custodians were defeated in strategy and intelligence by inmates," Corrections Department Director Adan Mendez Castro said.
Ten of the fugitives had been serving time for drug smuggling, assault or car theft. Two were involved in homicides and one was a convicted kidnapper.Witnesses reportedly saw the fugitives climb into a green van and leave the area. The van was later found near a motel on a federal highway close to the Mexicali airport.
The inmates in the central jail in Mexicali, a border city about 120 miles east of San Diego, crawled to freedom Tuesday.Jail authorities discovered the escape about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday."Unfortunately, custodians were defeated in strategy and intelligence by inmates," Corrections Department Director Adan Mendez Castro said.Ten of the fugitives had been serving time for drug smuggling, assault or car theft. Two were involved in homicides and one was a convicted kidnapper.Witnesses reportedly saw the fugitives climb into a green van and leave the area. The van was later found near a motel on a federal highway close to the Mexicali airport.Copyright 2004 by 10News.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
