A 27-year-old Kalispell man has denied allegations that he tried to escape from the Flathead County Detention Center a week after he successfully escaped the Mineral County Jail.
Zachary James Bergman pleaded not guilty to felony attempted escape and criminal mischief before Flathead County District Court Judge Amy Eddy on Dec. 22. He is expected to stand trial in 2017.
According to court documents, Bergman was found in the ceiling of his cell on Oct. 6. Jail officials determined Bergman had used a toothbrush, an eating utensil and a cup to make a hole in the ceiling, however he was unable to go any further due to a security feature. Jail officials also found a letter in his cell apparently written before his failed attempt that stated, “They said nobody could get out of Alcatraz too but they did.”
The failed escape came a week after he was arrested near downtown Kalispell after escaping the Mineral County jail where he was arrested for allegedly stealing an automobile.