Accused burglar tries failed jailbreak

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - An accused burglar is quickly racking up a new list of charges after the Genesee County Sheriff's Office says he tried to break out of jail Tuesday night.

22-year-old John Cabrera was arrested Saturday when police say they caught him red-handed breaking into St. Paul Lutheran Church in Batavia.

And around 11 p.m. Tuesday, jail officials say they realized Cabrera wasn't in his cell and locked down the area.

"The perimeter was set up, the perimeter was secured which was vital in this situation where he could not make it out of the building," said Undersheriff William Sheron. "The jail personnel established their posts inside the jail and then started a systematic search of where he could have gone to."

Authorities found Cabrera in a basement after about half an hour, and took him to the hospital for a tetanus shot because of some scrapes.

Sheron says Cabrera is being moved to a maximum-security section of the jail and that the oversight that allowed him to escape is being addressed.

Cabrera was already facing additional charges Tuesday for allegedly damaging a holding room at the jail and tampering with video cameras.

Sheron says he'll consult with the District Attorney's office Wednesday before announcing new charges in the escape.