Shooting Suspect Roel Soliz Escapes Jail; Said To Be 'Armed And Dangerous'

(Recasts after inmates recaptured)

Sept 20 (Reuters) - Police have recaptured four of the five inmates, described as armed and dangerous, who escaped from a jail near Fresno, California, authorities said on Saturday.

The five men, three of whom were accused of attempted murder, escaped on Friday shortly after 9 p.m. local time from the Madera County jail, about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Fresno, said Madera County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Erica Stuart.

Sheriffs had recaptured four of the escapees by Saturday night, Stuart said, following a large-scale search. Their means of escape, in which no guards were injured, was under investigation, she said.

Stuart declined to say where authorities were focusing their manhunt, but said local, state and federal law enforcement nationwide had been alerted to the central California jail break.

It was not known whether the men stayed together or split up after escaping, Stuart said. She described them as armed and dangerous.

Among those captured are 25-year-old Abel Ramos, Juan Lopez, 30, and 19-year-old Ricardo Cendejas, who were in jail on charges that included attempted murder, authorities said. Jorge Lopez-Diaz, 26, who was accused of strong-arm robbery, had also been recaptured.

The remaining escapee, 30-year-old Roel Soliz, was initially locked up on charges including burglary and parole violation.

Ramos is accused of shooting at a Madera County deputy sheriff, who was not hit, last December.

All the men are from Madera except for Soliz, who is from nearby Chowchilla, authorities said. Their jail-issued clothing included orange jumpsuits and blue and white shirts. (Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Dan Grebler)