Grand jury to hear escape cases today

CLOVIS — A grand jury will hear today the cases on five individuals charged in connection with the escape this month from the Curry County Detention Center.

Sarina Dodson, the former detention officer charged with assisting Victor Apodaca, Aaron Clark and Ricky Sena in escaping June 15 from the jail while she was on duty, was approved this week for a secured cash/surety bond of $50,000. She remained Thursday evening in CCDC.

Judge Drew Tatum denied the state’s request for pre-trial detention on Dodson, 28, noting “pretrial detention cannot be based solely on flight risk” and that Dodson “has no criminal history,” according to court records.

District Attorney Andrea Reeb said she “thought it was a reasonable way to handle conditions of release,” since Dodson can only leave the jail through a third party custodian and a bondsman would “keep track of her and locate her if she flees.”

The three inmates — Apodaca, 28, Clark, 31, and Sena, 24 — were located in Clovis four days after the escape and brought back into custody June 19, held since without bond. Jon Hausmann, 38, charged with three counts of harboring or aiding a felon, also remained Thursday in the CCDC with a detention hearing scheduled Monday.

All five are scheduled for separate preliminary examination court hearings July 5.