Fourth inmate who escaped from Merced County Jail arrested

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Merced County Sheriff's Office has arrested the fourth of six inmates who escaped from the county jail in downtown Merced last month.

Authorities say they caught 19-year-old Gabriel Francis Coronado in the Livingston area on Saturday.

Police were informed of a suspicious car in the area of Westside Avenue and Robin Avenue. When deputies found the car, they noticed Coronado was one of the passengers and took him into custody.

Coronado is from Atwater and was in jail for attempted murder.

Back on January 9, investigators say six men used a rope made out of sheets to escape from the building. Due to certain protocols that prohibit interrupting an inmate's sleep, correctional officers didn't notice the men were gone until the morning headcount nearly

eight hours later.

Three of the inmates, Fabian Cruz Roman, Andres Nunez Rodriguez Jr. and Edgar Eduardo Ventura, were arrested shortly after escaping.

At this point, the last two inmates still on the loose are Jorge Barron and Manuel Allen Leon. A tip line has been set up by the US Marshals Service and a reward of up to $10,000 per escapee is being offered for any information leading to their arrests.

To provide information you can call: 1-877-WANTED-2 (1-877-926-8332) or you can visit US Marshal's website. All information given can remain anonymous.

Deputies also arrested six people accused of assisting the escaped inmates earlier this month. Officials say they were friends and family of the fugitives. Authorities believe there are several others who may have been involved with aiding the men, and the

investigation continues.

The Merced County Sheriff's Office is working with several local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the United States Marshalls Services, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Special Services Unit, to track

down the remaining two inmates.