Crime & Safety

Prison Attack On Jeffco Deputy: Man Sentenced To 20 Years

Roger Freyta, 39, was an inmate when he used a handmade weapon to seriously injure a guard, officials said.

Roger Freyta was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault of a guard by an inmate, the Jeffco DA's office said.
Roger Freyta was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault of a guard by an inmate, the Jeffco DA's office said. (Image via 1st Judicial District Attorney's Office)

GOLDEN, CO — A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault of a deputy, the 1st Judicial District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

Roger Freyta, 39, was an inmate at the Jefferson County Jail in Golden when he attacked and seriously injured a guard who was on patrol, the DA's office said.

On Jan. 1, the routine 11 p.m. lockdown and inmate count were underway at the prison.

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Freyta had stolen a padlock from the deputies' workstation and tied it to a strip of fabric torn from a sheet or pillowcase, officials said.


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The deputy finished completing the inmate count and was walking out of the sleeping area, when Freyta used his homemade weapon to hit the guard in the face and head, according to the DA's office.

The deputy suffered serious bodily injuries, including a concussion, contusions, and lacerations to his face and head.

Freyta pleaded guilty July 13 to first degree assault of a guard by an inmate. This was his third felony conviction.

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