Manhunt For 5 Escapees From Central California Jail

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) -- Authorities were on the hunt Saturday for five men who escaped from a central California jail.

The men broke out of the Madera County lockup late Friday night, sheriff's spokeswoman Erica Stuart said. The inmates were gone for about an hour before corrections officers discovered they were missing around 9:15 p.m., she said.

Authorities from across the state were looking for Juan Lopez, 33, Jorge Lopez-Diaz, 26, Abel Ramos, 25, Ricardo Cendejas, 19, all of Madera and Roel Soliz, 29, of Chowchilla.

The men were being held in custody on various charges including attempted murder and armed robbery, Stuart said. It's unclear how they escaped, she added.

"We don't know how they got away, all we know is that they took off on foot," Stuart said. "We're looking for them. They should all be considered armed and very dangerous."

The men were last seen wearing either orange jumpsuits or white T-shirts with blue shorts and orange jail-issued sandals. It is not clear whether they knew or were associated with each other prior to their arrests, Stuart said.

The jail is operated by the Madera County Department of Corrections, Stuart said.

The corrections department was not immediately available for comment.
© Copyright 2014 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.