In a scene seemingly lifted from a streaming thriller, four inmates have executed a daring escape from a Southern California correctional facility, vanishing into the upscale neighbourhoods of Beverly Hills after burrowing out through a tunnel.
The audacious breakout, which authorities confirmed on Wednesday, bears a striking resemblance to the plot of the Spanish Netflix series La Unidad (The Unit), featuring a meticulously planned tunnel escape. Los Angeles police are now conducting an extensive search for the fugitives, who were last seen in the vicinity of the city's famed luxury shopping district, Rodeo Drive.
The Elaborate Escape Plan
The four men, identified as Jonathan Tieu, 20, Bac Duong, 43, Hossein Nayeri, 37, and a 21-year-old, managed to carve an escape route directly from their shared cell. Using tools to breach the reinforced steel and plumbing within the walls, they created a hole just large enough to squeeze through.
From there, they navigated through a plumbing tunnel before finally accessing the roof of the building. They then used ropes, fashioned from braided bedsheets, to rappel down several storeys to the ground, evading the facility's perimeter security.
A Manhunt in the Mansions
The escape was discovered during a routine headcount at 9 p.m. on Tuesday at the California Transitional Management Center in the City of Industry. The subsequent manhunt quickly zeroed in on Beverly Hills after credible sightings.
Authorities have not disclosed the specific crimes of all the escapees, though one, Hossein Nayeri, was reportedly being held on charges of torture and kidnapping. The connection to the Netflix show has added a bizarre Hollywood twist to the intense police operation, as patrols scour the affluent streets and manicured estates of one of America's wealthiest enclaves.
