The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office says it has concluded its investigation into a recent incident that injured a jailer. Officials say Habersham County Detention Officer Juan Balderas was briefly hospitalized after an inmate assaulted him.
According to the sheriff’s office, at about 6:50 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, Detention Officer Justyn Standridge responded to a radio call for help from Balderas from inside the jail’s A Block. Balderas reportedly made the call as inmate Mark Edward Roberts, 35, of Cornelia, was charging at him. Officials say Roberts knocked Balderas unconscious.
“Upon entering A Block, [Standridge] witnessed inmate Roberts in a frantic state, apologizing repeatedly,” the approved incident report states. “Once Roberts observed Standridge in the block, he instantly got down on the ground and placed his hands behind his back.”
A jail employee notified 911 while two detention officers placed Roberts in a wrap restraint and removed him from the cell block.
Motive unclear
Habersham EMS transported Balderas by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville. The hospital admitted him for treatment and released him the following day.
At the time of the incident, Balderas had worked at the jail for less than three months. The sheriff’s office hired him on April 17, 2023, according to information provided by the county’s public information office.
“There were no security protocol breaches, and we don’t know the motivation for the attack,” says PIO Rob Moore. “At this point, I have not been made aware of any change in procedures. Thankfully, this is the first incident of its type in recent memory for our command staff.”
Long list of priors
Roberts has a long list of prior arrests dating back to 2006. Deputies most recently jailed him on June 13 on multiple charges, including aggravated battery, terroristic threats and acts under the Family Violence Act, obstruction, and second-degree criminal damage to property.
After the alleged attack, deputies additionally charged Roberts with aggravated battery and felony obstruction. As of July 18, he remained in jail on a $48,800 bond on all of the charges pending against him.
Nearly a week after the incident, Balderas returned to duty at the county jail.
