Police issue alert for Orange County escapee with Fresno ties

Fresno police Monday issued an alert for one of three prisoners who escaped from the Orange County Jail because he has ties to the Fresno area.

Hossein Nayeri, 37, and two other men cut their way through bars at the jail and rappelled four stories down the side of the building Friday. A $50,000 reward is being offered for their capture. The other two men are Jonathan Tieu, 20, and Bac Duong, 43.

Nayeri is accused of being one of four people who kidnapped and tortured a Newport Beach marijuana dispensary owner in 2012. The men reportedly believed the victim buried cash in the desert. The man was kidnapped and driven to the desert as his abductors tortured him with a blowtorch and cut off his penis.

While living in Fresno, Nayeri was involved in a fatal traffic crash in 2005. The California Highway Patrol said he was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe when he lost control, ran off the road and slammed into a boulder. The Tahoe caught fire and a passenger died.

The CHP said alcohol was a factor in the crash. Nayeri was also booked on charges of criminal threats and assault in 2011, but those charges were dismissed.

Anyone who sees Nayeri should call 911.

This story was originally published January 25, 2016 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Police issue alert for Orange County escapee with Fresno ties."