Despite Juan Ortiz’s claim that he was not trying to escape from jail when he attacked two corrections officers last August, a jury convicted him of attempting to escape custody Wednesday.

Thursday, July 19, 2001

Despite Juan Ortiz’s claim that he was not trying to escape from jail when he attacked two corrections officers last August, a jury convicted him of attempting to escape custody Wednesday.

Defense attorney Chester Swenson said Ortiz only staged the attack because he did not want to go back to Maryland, where he was wanted for seven charges in Baltimore, and he hoped committing the crime would keep him in Minnesota custody.

Assistant County Attorney David Walker, however, argued that Ortiz’s actions after the assault showed he was trying to escape custody.

For instance, he grabbed jailer Mark Oakland’s keys and apparently tried to open doors that would have let him out of the building.

&uot;If he didn’t want to escape, then why didn’t he just assault the jailer by slapping him, or punching him once, or spitting on him?&uot; Walker said. &uot;Why did he hit him so terribly hard?&uot;

Walker said Ortiz was trying to make sure the guards were out of commission so he could make it out of the jail.

And a deputy who responded to the incident said Ortiz told him he was trying to escape.

Ortiz was close to getting out of the jail. If he had pushed the right button on a control-room panel, a door leading outside would have unlocked and he could have walked out. The keys do not work in that door.