An arrest has made in the Orange County jail escape case, though it wasn't of one of the three convicts who escaped, but instead of an accomplice.
The accomplice was identified as Nooshafarin Ravaghi, 44, a woman who taught English classes at the Orange County Central Men's Jail. There were no indicators of any past criminal activity, as she passed a sheriff's background check before beginning her assignment in the jail. Regardless, she was arrested Thursday and taken into custody about an hour after the arrest was announced, according to dbtechno.
Ravaghi had worked at the maximum-security jail since 2014 as a part-time instructor of English as a second language. One of the students who she taught during her tenure was escaped convict Hossein Nayeri, 37, the alleged mastermind of the escape. He had been in prison, as he awaited trial for the kidnapping and torture of a marijuana dispensary owner and reportedly cut off the victim's penis in a bid to learn where a sum of money might be hidden.
The nature of their relationship is unknown to authorities.
"There was some type of relationship that developed between the two" that was close, Lt. Jeff Hallock said, ABC News reported.
Ravaghi denied supplying the tools that the inmates used to cut through various pipes as they made their escape, but investigators believe that she supplied Google maps that could have helped them plan their escape route through the city.
"We continue to get information from her," Hallock said. "We have a certain amount of information she has provided thus far. But again she has denied bringing in any tools to this point. She did provide some tools for planning such as maps."
"Ravaghi directly contributed to the escape of the three inmates and provided critical planning tools that aided in their preparation for the escape," Hallock added, according to The Los Angeles Times.
As the search for Nayeri, along with Bac Duong and Johnathan Tieu, continues, authorities are considering the possibility that they are living in a white GMC Savana van they stole on Saturday in Los Angeles. In addition, the investigation has focused on a nearby Vietnamese gang that has ties to two of the escapees.
About 10 arrests have been made so far in connection with the escape, with several others made in connection with unrelated arrest warrants or probation violation. Ravagi's arrest is the first in the case that involved a prison employee.
