| Armed Intruder Attempts to Enter Prison |
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| Intruder Tries to Enter OSP |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 6, 2001
Last evening, an armed intruder was discovered between two perimeter fences at Oregon State Correctional Institution in Salem and immediately apprehended.
At 9:26 p.m. on Wednesday, September 5, 2001,the medium-security prison's armed mobile patrol officer, Correctional Officer Ramiro Yanez, responded to an alarm from the fence alarm system. Upon arriving in the alarm zone on the north side of the prison, Officer Yanez observed an intruder between the two perimeter fences that circle the prison. The intruder was in the process of cutting the interior fence.
Officer Yanez immediately called for assistance, drew his weapon and detained the intruder, who complied with the officer's orders to drop face-down on the ground. When the backup officers arrived, the intruder was searched and restrained without incident. Upon searching the suspect, officers found a white powdery substance and escape devices. A weapon was found nearby .The intruder was placed under arrest by the Oregon State Police and all evidence is in State Police custody.
The prison was immediately ordered on lockdown and an emergency count was conducted. All inmates were present. The fences were repaired early Thursday morning.
The alleged intruder, who had been released earlier that day from Oregon State Correctional Institution, is Joel Damen Montoya, 26. He had just completed a year in prison for second degree sex abuse out of Linn County. He had previous misdemeanor convictions in Oregon of false application for a driver's license and contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor, also out of Linn County.
The only injuries in the incident were cuts to Mr. Montoya's legs, apparently from the concertina (razor) wire strung between the perimeter fences.
The Oregon State Police along with the Department of Corrections Special Investigation Unit are investigating.
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