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MANILA, Daggett County — It was an escape attempt that sheriff's deputies say didn't have much chance of succeeding.
Daggett County Sheriff Jerry Jorgensen said Albert Mike Garcia appeared to be fairly relaxed Thursday morning when he drove him about 2 miles from the Daggett County Jail to the 8th District Court in Manila.
"He was cuffed with a belly chain in the front, and I felt like he was secure," Jorgensen said.
Garcia's demeanor, however, was much different after the court appearance, the sheriff said.
"He became visibly upset as I was transporting him back to the jail," Jorgensen said, adding that Garcia told the sheriff to shoot him.
With his hands still cuffed in front of him and attached to a chain around his waist, Garcia was able to release his seat belt in the back seat of the patrol vehicle, Jorgensen said. The vehicle does not have a protective cage.
"I had another pair of handcuffs on the floorboard in the back seat, and (Garcia) reached over and got the other pair of handcuffs and attempted to hit me with them," Jorgensen said.
The sheriff said he pulled his vehicle over to try to stop the attack. At that point, Garcia climbed over the front passenger seat, unlocked a passenger door, got out and ran across a field, Jorgensen said.
"The foot chase was on," he said.
Once (Garcia) had his seat belt released he made aggressive movements towards the sheriff.
–Daggett County Sheriff spokeswoman Susie Potter
Garcia, 53, managed to slip out of the handcuffs and belly chain before deputies took him back into custody 30 minutes later, the sheriff said. He had traveled about a mile from the spot where he jumped out of the patrol vehicle.
Ironically, Garcia was being taken to court on a charge of escaping from official custody, a third-degree felony. He was also charged Tuesday in 8th District Court with child abuse, a second-degree felony; assault, a class A misdemeanor; domestic violence in the presence of a child, a class B misdemeanor; criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor; and failing to stop at the command of police, a class A misdemeanor.
During his initial court hearing Thursday morning, a judge revoked bail, according to court records.
Garcia's lengthy criminal history includes being sentenced to 180 days in jail in 2002 for a conviction of attempted aggravated assault in West Jordan's 3rd District Court in a case that also involved domestic violence, according to court records.
He was also convicted in 2004 of attempted assault by a prisoner and attempted escape from official custody.
"We probably took him a little lighter than we should have," Jorgensen said Thursday, adding that he plans to review his department's inmate transportation policy.
"Monday morning quarterbacking is always nice to do, and we probably will look at (the policy)," the sheriff said.
Contributing: Geoff Liesik
