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July 11, 2009

Inmate accused of attempted jail escape

By Meghan McCormick

Third time wasn't a charm for an inmate who allegedly tried to escape from the Cleveland County Detention Center Friday morning.

For a third time since March, Cleveland County prosecutors have charged James Jaye Jordanoff, 25, of Norman, Friday in Cleveland County District Court with attempted escape from a penal institution.

Jordanoff was accused of committing the same offense at CCDC, court records show.

According to court records, prosecutors filed the same charges against Jordanoff March 23 and June 17. He also was charged Friday with malicious injury to property.

An affidavit filed with Friday's charges, shows at 12:04 a.m. Friday, dispatchers told deputies that someone had buzzed the detention center's front door and told dispatchers someone was trying to break out a window.

Detention specialist Anthony Fowler and Cleveland County Sheriff's Deputy James Bolling walked outside the building and saw Jordanoff inside the detention center holding a piece of metal, according to the affidavit.

Jordanoff was "banging it against the safety glass causing it to shatter," the affidavit stated.

"As soon as we opened the cell the defendant let go of the piece of metal and walked toward the door. The defendant then stated 'You guys caught me,'" Bolling said in the affidavit.

The metal was taken from Jordanoff and he was taken to CCDC's receiving area, the affidavit showed.

According to court papers, Bolling walked back into the jail cell and found metal strips that had been pulled off the wall and from underneath the bed. Bolling also found a broken handcuff lying on the floor.

As Jordanoff stood in the receiving area he could be heard screaming "One way or another I am going to get out of this place, if it's escaping or in a casket, I am out of here," according to the affidavit.

Bolling said in the affidavit, he found a 2 1/2-foot piece of metal sticking out from the window. The metal screen that covers the window had been ripped open and the window was shattered.

Jordanoff also faces additional felony cases in Cleveland County. He was charged Oct. 22, 2008, with attempting to elude while endangering others, and an assault and battery upon a peace officer charge was filed March 25.

Meghan McCormick

366-3539

mmccormick@normantranscript.com

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