LOGAN, Utah — An inmate at the Cache County Jail is facing new charges after officials claim he attempted to attack a guard at the jail with a pair of wire strippers.
Mutaz Mohamed, 30, was charged Monday for the attack that allegedly happened in August.
The alleged attack happened on August 23 while Mohamed was on lockdown restriction, meaning that he was limited to one hour out of his cell per day. The day of the alleged attack, the rotation for inmates to get out of their cells was disrupted by maintenance issues on the block.
Several times throughout the day, guards reported Mohamed uses the emergency intercom button in his cell to call the control room, asking to be let out. The deputy in the control room stated that he attempted to hit the button to turn off the intercom in Mohamed's cell, but instead accidentally hit the button to open the door and let Mohamed out.
When Mohamed left his cell, deputies attempted to ask him to go back, but he refused.
As a deputy was escorting Mohamed back to his cell, investigators say he reached around his back and retrieved a pair of wire strippers from his waistband. He then allegedly attempted to turn towards the deputy but was limited in his movements.
During a review of jail surveillance footage, deputies found that a maintenance worker had dropped the wire strippers on the floor near Mohamed's cell door. Mohamed could be seen on video grabbing the strippers and hiding them in his waistband, according to detectives.
Mohamed faces charges of aggravated assault by a prisoner, interfering with a peace officer, and possessing a weapon.
