A Cameron County inmate’s attempt to escape from a county jail was thwarted Friday afternoon by an 8-foot fence topped with barbwire.

Wilmer Orlando Cruz-Coto, 24, tried to break free by climbing a recreation yard canopy at the Ruben Torres Sr. Detention Center No. 1 on East Harrison Street, said Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio.

The escape attempt happened about 12:30 p.m.

Lucio said that while Cruz-Coto was in the jail’s open space area in the exercise yard, he attempted to escape.

“We do have the guards that are standing out there while they go through some exercise,” Lucio said. “He climbed that canopy, but even that canopy has what is known as Constantine wire, and it’s razor sharp.”

Cruz-Coto was charged with attempted escape, he said.

“Our main concern is that the individual would get hurt,” Lucio said. “He was brought down (from the canopy) within two or three minutes.”

For more on this story, see Saturday’s edition of The Brownsville Herald.