Seven Liberty County Jail inmates charged for riot, officials say

LIBERTY COUNTY, TEXAS - Seven inmates at the Liberty County Jail have been charged in connection to last Thursday's riot, according to the County Sheriff's Office.

Jail riot charges

What we know:

Officials say seven of the 44 inmates who were involved in the riot have been charged with Riot Participation, which is a state jail felony.

Officials listed the following inmates who have been charged for the riot. Authorities also listed the inmates' initial charges that they are in jail for.

1. Gabriel Martinez, 35, of Dayton – Held for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (3 counts).
2. Robert Losley, 36, of Dayton – Held for Manufacture or Delivery of a Controlled Substance.
3. Justin Butcher, 36, of Dayton – Held for Trespassing and Aggravated Assault/Family Violence.
4. Hector Ochoa, 19, of Cleveland – Held for Possession of a Prohibited Weapon and Manufacture or Delivery of a Controlled Substance (3 counts).
5. Ike Fiedler, 34, of Liberty – Held for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and a parole hold.
6. Marty Jarrett, 40, of Cleveland – Held for Theft of Property (2 counts), Failure to Identify, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, and other charges in Harris County.
7. Christopher Collins, 24, of New Caney – Held for Burglary of a Habitation.

RELATED: Liberty County Jail inmates incited riot, now under control: law enforcement reports

Feb. 27 jail riot

The backstory:

During a press conference following the riot, Lieutenant John Bennett said two shake-downs were being conducted within two of the dorms. The search got out of hand and inmates began causing a ruckus which soon escalated.

Lt. Bennett said 44 inmates were involved within both dorms, with 21 and 23 people in each one.

Authorities report the inmates started busting windows and covering them, so law enforcement couldn't see inside. Around six windows' inside panes were busted by inmates.

Deputies in the jail realized they were outnumbered, so they evacuated to control the jail. Inmates began tying clothes and sheets together to lock the doors and keep deputies out.

Lt. Bennett says law enforcement were able to get one dorm with 21 inmates back under control quickly.

The second dorm was more agitated, he reports, with four to five main instigators involved. Some inmates cooperated, but others did not and were locking the doors with sheets to keep the authorities out.

At some point, law enforcement said they were able to make entry through a slot in the door and used tear gas to get the inmates to calm down. They were able to get inmates to lay down and cooperate after they entered.

Officials said two inmates were injured. One inmate, who was a main instigator, was taken to the hospital. A second inmate had to be treated but has since returned to the jail.