Escape attempt squashed on jail rooftop

A federal inmate nearly tasted freedom Tuesday by making his way to the roof of the Cameron County jail before he was captured.

Just after 8:30 a.m., inmate Delmer Joel Caceres was in the recreation area of the Ruben Torres Detention Center No. 1 on East Harrison Street when he attempted to flee, Chief Deputy Gus Reyna said in a prepared statement.

"(Caceres) jumped onto the X-ray roof top and jumped over the fence to the main roof top,” Reyna wrote. “The officer standing watch during recreation immediately radioed the incident.”

“This guy didn’t go anywhere,” Reyna said. “It was just an attempt.”

A detention officer at the jail ran toward the roof latch and made his way to the rooftop.

Caceres was taken into custody by the detention officer about 8:41 a.m. without incident, Reyna reported. He was treated at the jail for minor cuts to his arms, face and right hand finger.

The last time an inmate escaped from a Cameron County jail was in August 2005, according to Brownsville Herald archives.

Michael Keener, 28, scaled two chain link fences topped with razor wire at the Detention Center No. 2 on East Harrison Street and ran more than seven blocks along railroad tracks in downtown Brownsville before he was caught.

Reyna said that in the next few days he would review Tuesday’s attempted escape. “We are going to look at how he attempted to escape and take precautionary methods to ensure that an incident like this will not happen again,” he said.

Caceres was charged with escape and will be arraigned by a Cameron County magistrate this morning.