UPDATE: New photos show where inmates escaped Monterey County Jail
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UPDATE 11/4/2019 12:00 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to search for two inmates who escaped from the county jail Sunday morning.
In a press conference, Captain John Thornburg said both are considered armed and dangerous because they were charged with homicide and other violent charges.
The two inmates, 20-year-old Jonathan Salazar and 21-year-old Santos Fonseca, were last seen during a routine check at around 6:30 a.m. and at around 8:15 a.m. they were reported missing from their housing unit.
Thornburg believes the inmates found a blind spot in the housing unit and exploited it. He said the two made a hole in a bathroom ceiling and got out in a space between pipes, but escaped the perimeter of the jail through a construction area that did not have the normal secure wiring. Investigators also found some jail issued clothing outside the perimeter, so they did make it outside of the jail.
Thornburg said both men are from the Salinas area and have had gang affiliation to some extent, but were affiliated with opposing gangs.
The Sheriff’s Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the capture of the two inmates.
UPDATED 11/3/19 6:40 p.m.: The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $5,000 reward on information that leads to the capture of two inmates that escaped from jail.
The Sheriff’s Office is actively searching for 20-year-old Jonathan Salazar and 21-year-old Santos Fonseca, who both faced separate murder charges.
They are considered a threat to the public.
ORIGINAL STORY:
20-year-old Jonathan Salazar and 21-year-old Santos Fonseca had been held at the Monterey County Jail since 2018, but deputies said, Sunday morning, the two made a daring escape. The pair went missing during a routine inmate count around 6:30 a.m.
“During the search we found some of their inmate clothing just outside of the perimeter. We know that they did make it outside of the jail,” said Monterey County Undersheriff, John Mineau.
Both Fonseca and Salazar faced separate murder charges. It is unclear if they worked together on the escape, but during the breakout they left behind damage to the jail’s perimeter. Mineau said they are considered a threat to the public. “These guys were in jail for murder, so we need to consider them dangerous people,” said Mineau.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is investigating how the pair managed to escape the high security facility.
The last escape happened five years ago when an inmate climbed out of a ventilation duct at the jail’s rehabilitation center. The man was later found and arrested.
“This is not the first time that somebody has escaped the county jail. It just makes you wonder how it is possible,” said Salinas resident, Jamie Jr.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies said they are actively searching for both men.
Sheriff’s deputies are warning community members to keep their distance if they see them and call 9-1-1 immediately.
“It’s just scary that you never know who is out there. You have to take precautions all the time, not just when a breakout happens. It’s a good practice to have your purse next to you in the car and your doors locked,” said Prunedale resident, Kathy Lett.
Fonseca is 5’7″ and 150lbs. Salazar is 5’7 and 170lbs. Both are Hispanic with black hair and brown eyes. If you have any information about their whereabouts you can call the sheriff’s office at 831-755-3722.
This is a developing story.
