Naman Shrestha
‘Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert’ delves deep into the 2012 kidnapping and torturing case of Michael S. and Mary Barnes, both of whom were left for dead by Hossein Nayeri and a couple of other accomplices. Apart from that, the documentary also sheds light on the daring prison escape led by Hossein. In his quest to get out of the dorm cell, he took the help of a couple of his cellmates — Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong. Thanks to the archival footage of the escape captured by Hossein and the preparations the trio made in the days leading up to it, the audience is provided with all the intricate details of the escape and the several days of running from the cops.
Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong Teamed Up With Hossein Nayeri to Escape Their Dorm Cell
Allegedly linked to Vietnamese-American street gangs, Jonathan Tieu and Bac Duong were cellmates of Hossein Nayeri, who was awaiting trial for kidnapping and torturing charges. Jonathan was in custody for being accused of murder and attempted murder for a shooting incident that took place in Garden Grove, California. On the other hand, Bac had plenty of accusations and convictions on his rap sheet, including burglary, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of a firearm by a felon, and more. He was also alleged to have been involved in the shooting of a Santa Ana man in November 2015, for which he was charged with attempted murder, assault with a firearm, and firing into a residence.
While Jonathan and Bac were held at the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana alongside Hossein, the trio devised a plan to escape and smuggled tools to help them cut through the metal pipes in their dorm cell. On January 22, 2016, they climbed onto the roof by climbing through the plumbing shafts and made their escape by climbing down the rope made of bed linens. After getting out, they kidnapped a 72-year-old taxi driver named Long Ma and held him at gunpoint to make him drive them hundreds of miles across Orange and Los Angeles Counties and then San Jose.
Over the course of a week, they made stops at different motels and stole a van. Bac had befriended Long and later also got into a physical altercation with Hossein, who allegedly believed that the driver should be killed. On January 29, when Bac saw the first window of opportunity, he drove back to Southern California with Long Ma, who credited him with saving his life. Upon reaching Santa Ana, Bac surrendered himself to the authorities. The following day, on January 30, Jonathan Tieu and Hossein Nayeri were also arrested outside a McDonald’s outlet in San Francisco.
While Jonathan Tieu is a Free Man Today, Bac Duong is Still Serving His Sentence at a California Prison Facility
In April 2021, Bac Duong was the first of the three escapees to stand trial for the escape charges. During his trial, the taxi driver, Long Ma, submitted a letter to the court requesting the judge to show mercy to the defendant. Although he was acquitted of felony kidnapping for robbery, he was convicted of simple kidnapping. More than a year after his conviction, in July 2022, he pleaded guilty to his previous charges, including attempted murder and assault with a firearm. Thus, he was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison, with credit given for all the years he had already spent in prison.
In April 2023, Jonathan Tieu also pleaded guilty to both felony charges of simple kidnapping and escape. In exchange, the prosecutors reportedly dismissed a couple of other charges. Subsequently, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. However, just like Bac Duong, he was also credited for the time he had already served in prison, which was 2,996 days. With his release date nearby, the judge asked him about his plans after getting out. He responded, “I’m going to my mom’s house. She doesn’t know yet… I’m going to give her a big old kiss and a hug.” He also claimed that he was planning to find himself a regular job and instill some stability into his life.
At Jonathan’s hearing, his girlfriend, brother, and sister were also in attendance. Around the time of his hearing, he had also reportedly donated his hair to the Wigs for Kids charity. In May 2024, Bac Duong and his defense attorneys challenged his conviction for false imprisonment, pointing out that it was “a lesser included offense of the simple kidnapping charge.” The court agreed with the argument and reversed his conviction for the same. As of writing, while Jonathan Tieu is leading a life of freedom out of the spotlight, Bac Duong is incarcerated at the California State Prison, Corcoran in Corcoran, California, with the parole eligible date scheduled for June 2030.
Read More: Hossein Nayeri: Where is the Kidnapper Now?
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