Inmate disrupted jailbreak

The deputies also heard some sawing noise themselves at one point, said Sheriff's Capt. Don O'Keefe.

The irony in Winston being the inadvertent stall to the others' plans is his own Feb. 4 attempt to kick out the window of a sheriff's transport van to run to a waiting vehicle in South San Francisco. Winston, 44, is facing a possible third-strike conviction on felony domestic violence charges in addition to two new felony charges stemming from the reported escape attempt. His criminal record includes a 1995 assault with a deadly weapon plus other felonies which label him a habitual offender.

Winston was partially through the van window when deputies reported catching him. Although officials believe Winston had a vehicle waiting for him, no one else has yet been charged with conspiracy. Winston remains in custody at the jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Thirteen days later, on Feb. 17, Tran, 30, and Senituli Penisoni, 24, allegedly tried escaping from the jail by cutting through a window bar with four hacksaw blades.

Tran and Penisoni were housed together on a third-floor cell of the Maguire Correction Facility. Around 9:40 p.m., Winston began complaining about the unexplained noise nearby. Investigating officers found the pair sawing through one bar on an exterior window. They had only made it through one-half inch of the bar. Authorities also found three one-pound fishing weights and a pile of socks they believe were to be used as weapons. The Sheriff's Office is still investigating how the men acquired the contraband.

"We're still looking into it," O'Keefe said.

They have pleaded not guilty to trying to escape from the San Mateo County Jail, possessing dangerous weapons and causing more than $400 in damage to a cell.

Each is also facing individual murder charges in unrelated cases. Tran is suspected of hacking up a young woman with a chain saw and hiding the parts for three years in a Daly City storage locker. Penisoni is fingered in a March 2004 East Palo Alto drive-by shooting that left one man dead and another injured.

The prison break charges may be consolidated into the other cases but prosecutors have yet to decide if they want to try Tran and Penisoni together or separately, according to prosecutor Al Giannini. Giannini is prosecuting Tran's murder case.

Tran and Penisoni are in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail as well as the earlier cases.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.