Tijuana

Four prisoners, including a man facing a murder charge and one accused of rape, have escaped from the municipal jail in downtown Tijuana, authorities said Tuesday.

The inmates apparently cut the bars of their second-floor cell and escaped through a vent leading to the Fire Department building next door, said Ignacio Cruz Navarro, commander of the Baja California State Judicial Police in Tijuana.

The escape was discovered at 5 a.m. Tuesday, he said. Police were searching for the escapees, who were awaiting trial on charges that included murder, rape, assault and theft.