California prison escape: Remaining two prisoners recaptured in San Francisco

The three prisoners escaped from Orange County Men’s Jail, near Santa Ana on January 22

Orange County Sheriff's Department

All three fugitives who escaped from a maximum security jail in California have now been recaptured, police have confirmed.

Hossein Nayeri, 37 and Jonathan Tieu, 20, were captured in San Francisco on Saturday. Fellow escapee, Bac Tien Duong, 43, was arrested on Friday.

A member of the public recognised the police description of a white van Nayeri and Tieu were hiding in outside a whole foods shop. Ammunition but no weapons were found inside the vehicle, according to the LA Times.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, of the Orange County Sherrif's Department, said in a press conference: "The entire state can breath a sigh of relief. This is a Sheriff's worst nightmare. I am relieved they're back in custody."

The three prisoners escaped from Orange County Men’s Jail, near Santa Ana, on January 22 and Nayeri and Tieu were on the run for over a week.

Nayeri was accused of kidnap and torture. Duong and Tieu were both awaiting trial for attempted murder. All three have pleaded not guilty.

In a sophisticated escape attempt, the trio had crawled through a vent in a cell wall, climbed through plumbing tunnels and cut through thick metal bars to make their escape. They then rapelled onto the street using a makeshift rope.

It is thought that the break out took place at around 5am, just after a roll call. They were not discovered as missing until 15 hours later.

The inmates cut the steel screen between bunk beds as part of their escape plan

The last time there was an escape from the jail was in 1988.

A woman who taught English classes at the jail has been arrested in connection with the escape, CNN reported. She has admitted providing a paper Google Earth image to Nayeri of the area surrounding the jail, but denies giving the escapees tools.