Inmate charged in stabbing of correction officers
A man serving a life sentence on a murder conviction is facing assault charges in the August stabbing of two correction officers at a prison in Newtown, state police said.
On Aug. 22 around 8:30 a.m., officials at the Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown alerted Connecticut State Police Troop A in Southbury that an inmate, identified as 35-year-old Joe Baltas, had allegedly stabbed two corrections officers with a filed down toothbrush, according to state police.
Both correctional officers were transported to Danbury Hospital for treatment, state police said.
Baltas, who reportedly has a history of assaulting correction and public safety officers, did not report injuries and was transferred to MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution following the incident, according to state police.
Investigators learned that, on Aug. 22, Baltas was scheduled for out-of-cell time at 8:25 a.m. with no handcuffs. Corrections staff told investigators that they gave Baltas a strip search through the cell door, which revealed no contraband, before opening the door, state police said.
According to witness accounts and security camera footage, Baltas lunged at one of the corrections officers as the cell door opened and stabbed him in the neck with a shank. The officer immediately communicated that an active assault was occurring, and additional personnel responded, state police said.
Baltas fought with personnel as they attempted to secure him. After securing him, officials learned that a second corrections officer was stabbed by Baltas during the struggle, according to state police.
After being escorted away from the cell, Baltas allegedly claimed that the incident was motivated by perceived differences between correctional facilities he had been housed in, corrections personnel said. Baltas alleged that Garner Correctional Institution enforced more strict limitations on personal property allowed within an inmate’s cell than MacDougall-Walker
Correctional Institution. Baltas also allegedly made threats suggesting he would “do the same thing at Walker” as well as to other corrections officers at Garner Correctional Institution, according to state police.
As he was being transported to MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution, he reportedly told corrections staff where he hid the weapon used in the assault. State police said it was recovered and processed as evidence.
Following an extensive investigation, Danbury Superior Court approved an arrest warrant on Sept. 20. On Wednesday, state police served the active arrest warrant, charging Baltas with first-degree criminal attempt to assault an employee of the Department
of Correction, first-degree assault of an employee of the Department of Correction, possession of a weapon or dangerous instrument in a correctional institution, criminal attempt to commit murder with special circumstances, second-degree threatening and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
According to state police, Baltas refused to provide fingerprints or be photographed during processing and was additionally charged with failure to comply with fingerprint requirements.
Baltas is being held at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution on a $1,000,000 bond and was scheduled for arraignment on Thursday at Danbury Superior Court.