A janitor at the Morton County Courthouse has been credited with stopping an escape attempt by an inmate who bolted from a courtroom earlier this month.

Jake Achtenberg stopped the inmate with a garbage can, then pushed him into a corner on Oct. 17, Morton County Sheriff Dave Shipman said.

The man accused of running from the courtroom, Erik Bobbins, now faces an escape charge in addition to the robbery charge on which he already was being held.

Bobbins, 20, was charged Friday with Class C felony escape. South Central District Judge Robert Wefald set bond for him at $100,000.

Bobbins has been accused in the armed robbery of the Ridge Motel, 2630 Old Red Trail N.W., on Oct. 8 and faces a Class B felony charge of robbery in that case. The charge includes a mandatory minimum sentence of four years upon conviction due to allegations that a weapon was used in commission of the crime.

Bobbins, of McClusky, was being held in the Morton County Correctional Center in lieu of a $50,000 cash or surety bond. He appeared at a hearing on Oct. 17 to try to get the bond reduced.

Morton County Sheriff DaveShipman said Bobbins was one of three inmates in the courtroom that day, and he was the first one out of the courtroom after the hearings concluded. All three inmates were restrained with a belt around their waists attached to handcuffs, but their legs were not restrained, Shipman said.

He said Bobbins bolted from the courtroom.

The officer escorting the inmates yelled at an officer who happened to be in the courthouse to watch the other two inmates, then took off after Bobbins, Shipman said.

Bobbins went downstairs to the first floor and ran down the hall. Achtenberg heard the officer yelling for Bobbins to stop, and hit Bobbins with a garbage can and pushed him into a corner. Other officers responded to assist, and Bobbins was returned to the Morton County Correctional Center.

"He didn't get out of the building," Shipman said.

Though such escape attempts are rare, Shipman said the sheriff's department has learned from the incident.

"It has changed our process as far as taking inmates to court,"he said.

From now on, at least two officers will go to court when more than one inmate is appearing, Shipman said.

He said Bobbins also has been labeled an escape risk. A minimum of two officers are with him at any time when he leaves his cell, and he will be in leg restraints when taken to court from now on.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)