With the sheriff's helicopter circling high overhead, sniper crews perched on rooftops, and K-9 units on the ground, there were tense moments for law enforcement and residents in the Shadow Hills area of Indio Monday morning.
Four inmates were on the loose, and for hours, no one had any idea where they were, nor what they had in mind.
Andrew Jackson Elementary School was put on lockdown for about two hours as a precaution.
"I'm concerned, I'm frustrated, I want to go back home into my home and protect my property and nobody's telling me anything," said Rob Lytle, an Indio resident.
Perhaps more concerning to residents like Lytle was exactly who these criminals were.
"The people in the Riverside county Jail right now are the worst of the worst as the sheriff has spoken before," said Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
Gutierrez gave the names of the men who escaped: Antonio Vasquez, charged with kidnapping and robbery; Edgar Calderon, charged with robbery; Raymond Ruby Perez, charged with assault with a deadly weapon; and Justin Daniel Kirk, charged with attempted murder.
Somehow, these inmates escaped from the vehicle transport Friday morning, and three of them ripped off their jumpsuits.
"We had one neighbor who said his pool man saw two guys running in their boxer shorts about 7:30 this morning, and he said to come in and told the owner to call 911 because this is not normal," said Kevin Loder, an Indio resident.
That's when authorities arrived and cordoned off the entire area.
One suspect was holed up in a house, apparently armed. He surrendered when the SWAT team showed up and was then taken into custody.
Two others were found running about a mile away.
"These guys who were out there are serious felons, but they all have been recaptured and are now in jail," said Gutierrez.
After this incident, "inmate escape" will be added to the felons' lists of charges. As for how the escape happened, the sheriff's department is not saying anything except that they are investigating.
