Three Incidents At Garner Prison

State police report three recent incidents at Garner Correctional Institution, the state’s high-security prison at 50 Nunnawauk Road.

Two of the incidents involved assaults. A third incident involved an inmate’s refusal to comply with a legal order.

On the afternoon of March 11, state police charged inmate Gary Ortega, 39, with second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, and possession of a weapon in a correctional institution.

State police said the charges stem from an incident in which Ortega cut another inmate with a metal instrument, causing a severe laceration. The name of the other male inmate was not available.

Ortega was scheduled to be arraigned in court on March 12. Ortega is serving a 30-year sentence in Garner on a first-degree kidnapping conviction.

On the night of March 9, state police arrested Garner inmate Edward Zawadzki, 35, on a charge of third-degree assault, after he allegedly used his fists to assault inmate Mark Favoccia, 37, state police said.

Zawadzki was scheduled for court arraignment on March 12. Zawadzki is serving an 18½-year sentence in Garner on a first-degree kidnapping conviction. Favoccia is serving a three-year sentence on a third-degree larceny conviction.

Also, on March 8, Garner inmate Joseph Ogman, 31, refused to provide a DNA sample to prison officials, as would be required before his future release from prison, state police said. State police said they are investigating the incident.

Ogman is serving a 41/3-year sentence on a violation of probation conviction.