Grant County Jail inmate charged for foiled escape attempt

EPHRATA — An inmate at the Grant County Jail who attempted to escape by posing as another inmate is now facing criminal impersonation and attempted escape-related charges.

Grant County prosecutors charged 22-year-old Manuel Rodriguez Meza in Grant County Superior Court with first-degree criminal impersonation and second-degree attempted escape.

Rodriguez Meza was booked into the Grant County Jail on April 18 and he was interviewed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. An immigration detainer was placed on Rodriguez Meza in response and his bail was set at $1,000 cash or bond, according to court documents. About 12:50 p.m. on April 20 two inmates at the jail were summoned to be booked for release from district court. The inmates grabbed their belongings and they both identified themselves to deputies. Rodriguez Meza was reportedly posing as one of the two inmates.

About 1 p.m. corrections deputies received a call over the intercom from the inmate who Rodriguez Meza was reportedly posing as. Rodriguez Meza was still in the jail and hadn’t been released yet and he was pulled aside for questioning. Corrections officers discovered Rodriguez Meza, who was in possession of paperwork that belonged to the inmate he was posing as, did not resemble the person he was impersonating. Rodriguez Meza was interviewed and apologized for his escape attempt.

“I asked if he knew that he had a $1,000 bail and he asked if anyone had come and tried to bail him out. I told inmate Rodriguez Meza that I was not aware of anyone trying to bail him out,” wrote a corrections officer. “Inmate Rodriguez Meza then asked if we would have released him. I asked if he knew that he had an immigration hold and he said he didn’t know for sure. I told him that Immigration did place a detainer and he would not be able to bail.”

Rodriguez Meza told the officer he should have a lawyer present during questioning and the interview was ended. Rodriguez Meza later requested to continue the conversation, but because he had asked for a lawyer, rules prohibited the officer from speaking with him further about the incident.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.