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Monday, Nov 12, 2012 12:30 AM UTC

Man held on murder charge at Arizona jail missing

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Topics: From the Wires,

PHOENIX (AP) — A man being held on murder and robbery charges at an Arizona jail was discovered missing Sunday, and authorities don’t know if he escaped from his cell or is hiding somewhere at the sprawling complex, which also contains America’s self-proclaimed toughest sheriff’s famous “tent city.”

Authorities have launched a manhunt for 26-year-old Adan Orduno Jr., who Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio described as a violent “troublemaker.”

They’re also searching the county’s approximately 600,000-square-foot south Phoenix jail, which has a section where all inmates are housed in surplus military tents.

Orduno was not being held in that area, known as “tent city.” Instead, he was in a cell in the jail’s psychiatric unit and was discovered missing just before 9 a.m., sheriff’s spokesman Officer Christopher Hegstrom said.

Arpaio told the Arizona Republic it was unclear if Orduno escaped or was hiding somewhere in the complex.

“It’s a big facility,” Arpaio said. “There’s a lot of places to hide.”

The jail was placed on lockdown.

Orduno has served time in state prison for burglary, theft and aggravated assault, online state records show.

He was being held at the Maricopa County on murder and robbery charges. The Republic reported the charges stemmed from an October 2011 robbery at a Phoenix jewelry store that led to a police chase in which either Orduno or an accomplice fired at pursing officers.

Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Chief Brian Lee said Orduno was being held in a cell with a small window at the jail’s psychiatric ward. Detention officers look through the windows every 15 minutes to check on inmates, per department protocol, Lee said.

Orduno recently was declared competent to stand trial.

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