OK Co. Guard Foils Escape Attempt

An alert guard at the Oklahoma County jail busted an escape attempt. Authorities say it was a plan, one month in the making. 

It was early on the morning of August 11 when a detention officer decided to take his break in the parking lot. 

That's when he noticed a candle flickering through the glass window on the eighth floor. 

The officer alerted staff and quickly removed two inmates. 

Sheriff John Whetsel said they believe the men used nylon string to cut through 3/4 inch bolts, removing the metal grate that covers the window. 

Further search, revealed a hole in the concrete wall, large enough for an officer to stick his hand through. 

Investigators also found braided rope made from bed sheets that reached all the way to the ground. 

The inmates had even created a paste of bread, oatmeal, water and soot to cover the hole, Whetsel said. 

The inmates' plan highlights several very serious issues with the jail, he said. 

"When this building was constructed, those walls were supposed to have concrete-filled blocks. They do not," Whetsel said.

The two inmates are behind bars on several felony convictions.