Santa Ana, CA (WHDH) — Newly released video shows three inmates making a daring escape from a county jail last year in California.
The video is made by one of the inmates who broke out, but is now back behind bars.
Inmate Adam Hossein Nayeri recorded himself and two others escaping from a jail in Santa Ana, California.
The jailbreak, which happened in January of 2016, was captured with a contraband cell phone.
In the more than ten minute video released by his attorney, Nayeri says he wants to set the record straight.
“A lot of people credit us with some Houdini escape act,” said Nayeri, “all in eight minutes flat.”
Nayeri records himself squeezing into a metal grate into the plumbing system tunnels. The inmates reach the jail’s roof, taking selfies along they way. They then go down the side of the building using ropes.
“We had a duffel bag and a backpack full of stuff,” said Nayeri. “Bundles, hundreds of feet of high-grade industrial ropes. Practically a toolbox.”
From there his video shows the road trip north and the kidnapping of a taxi driver.
Officials say the inmates got in a fight over whether or not they should murder that driver.
“You know we were so grateful he decided to help us,” said Nayeri. “This man is truly a hero.”
Later that month, one of the inmates took the unharmed taxi driver back to Santa Ana and turned himself in.
Nayeri and the other inmate hid out in a stolen van in San Francisco during the intense manhunt.
The next day a witness spotted the stolen van and police moved in.
The end of Nayeri’s video is apologetic but not to police.
“We scared the hell out of people and caused a lot of anxiety and fear and at the end of the day I can’t say I feel good about that,” said Nayeri.
Prior to their escape the men had been facing a series of charges including murder and kidnapping.
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