4 Jail Escapees Captured; 3 Others Remain at Large

Three escaped prisoners, including a suspected murderer, remained at large today after breaking out of a rural county jail Wednesday in Castaic. Four others were captured by Sheriff’s Department deputies early today.

The seven, who were awaiting trial on charges ranging from parole violation to murder, fled from the maximum-security section of the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho, a 22,000-acre facility that houses about 1,500 prisoners in a dormitory setting, according to deputy Mike Ford.

The seven apparently used a pipe to force open a steel screen on the window of their second-story room in the jail, Ford said. They tied their bed sheets together to lower themselves to the ground, he said, then climbed over a 20-foot chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

The escape occurred sometime between 3 p.m. Wednesday, when the seven were present for a head-count, and 10:30 p.m., when their disappearance was discovered during a routine bed check.

Four were captured about 4 a.m. today in two separate locations within two miles of the jail. More than 90 sheriff’s deputies, aided by police dogs, continued to hunt for the three other escapees, who were identified as Arvey Carrol, 24, a murder suspect; Terrence Liddell, 41, charged with burglary; and Raymond Beavers, 18, charged with robbery.