Jail damages total up to $10,000
It will cost $8,000 to $10,000 to repair damage caused by a jail inmate who flushed a blanket down a toilet Sunday.
That's the estimate given to Sheriff Jim Dupont, who saw his office disrupted for two days because of raw sewage released into the building.
Dupont said the inmate, David Pinard, 31, will be charged with felony criminal mischief.
He said Pinard tore a blanket into thirds, rolled up the fabric, and flushed it, causing a sewer malfunction that affected the south side of the Justice Center.
Sewage spewed out of the men's room in the sheriff's office, flooding a hallway that serves the dispatch center, detective's office, a break room and an interview room.
Within an hour, STAT! Disaster Restoration service was there, starting to clean up.
The flood poured into the women's lockerroom below and damaged a ceiling there. On the main floor, it soaked into drywall, which will have to be replaced, and ruined carpeting.
"We'll have to cut walls out," Dupont said. "It's going to cost taxpayers a few thousand dollars," he estimated. The building is insured, but Dupont was unsure what the deductible is.
The worst of the damage was cleared out Sunday. Monday, dispatchers kept a pine candle burning to keep the odor at bay. The detectives office was completely rearranged as filing cabinets and other items had to be moved. Strips of carpet were cut out in some of the worst areas.
Dupont said Pinard has been a difficult inmate since he was arrested on Dec. 5 for burglary. He described him as "an extreme white supremacist" who wears a swastika tattoo and harasses workers with foreign-sounding names.
Detention officer Dave Hutton said Pinard has been placing white supremacy signs in the jail's library books and causing problems.
"Anything will set him off. If he doesn't like the looks of somebody's haircut," Pinard goes into a rage, Hutton said.
Pinard has also tried to kick the door off his cell, Hutton said.
Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com