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The prisoner's girlfriend has been charged in the plot, in which inmate Anthony David Dorothy, 35, intended to make an armed escape from McKenzie Hospital in Sandusky.

Sara Marie Bauer, 20, of 2529 Black River St., Deckerville was arraigned last Wednesday in Sanilac County District Court on several felony charges.

Corrections Deputy Ryan McConnachie spotted some irregularities while closing out an inmate's account around 2:30 in the morning. Although the inmate had been released from jail, the assigned pin number for phone calls "was still being used," said Sheriff Virgil Strickler.

The suspicious activity was reported to Detective Jim Johnson.

McConnachie "stumbled across this scheme," said the sheriff. "If he hadn't, there's no question" the escape would have been attempted.

Authorities traced the phone calls to Bauer, who was placed under surveillance by the Sanilac County Drug Task Force.

Authorities observed as she entered the hospital at 7:40 p.m. March 27, shortly before visiting hours ended. She went into a bathroom across from the emergency room.

A hospital janitor sealed off the bathroom after she left, and a search by police revealed a sawed-off single-shot shotgun, six shells, pepper spray, and a handcuff key hidden above a ceiling tile.

Police decided not to stop Bauer. They allowed her to leave the hospital grounds, thinking she could lead them to other accomplices that might be involved in the plot.

She was followed to a second location, where she allegedly picked up the electric cattle prod, and a second handcuff key she intended to hide under a chair in the hospital waiting room, the sheriff said.

Sheriff Department Special Response Team members arrested Bauer at 11:40 p.m. on the way back to the hospital, at the corner of Gates and Custer roads in Custer Township, where a roadblock was set up.

Officers said Bauer and Dorothy, unaware of the police investigation, talked on the phone until the time of her arrest.

On Wednesday, while executing search warrants in Deckerville and Moore Township, officers recovered materials for constructing explosive devices.

"He had talked to her making pipe bombs," said the sheriff.

According to Strickler, Dorothy had a scheduled appointment at the hospital the morning of March 28, and counted on the medical staff to demand officers remove his leg shackles. Then he would use an excuse to enter the bathroom by himself and retrieve the weapons and key to unlock the handcuffs.

The successful end to the case averted a potential tragedy.

Sandusky Police Chief Paul Cowley, whose department arrested Dorothy in January on robbery and assault charges Ð after he jumped out of a second story apartment window - believes the prisoner was prepared to use the weapons.

"There's no doubt in my mind because of the things we knowÉ if he got killed that was okay, or he would kill to get out of there," said Cowley, whose department assisted in last week's investigation along with police from Deckerville and Croswell.

"I felt that he meant to leave - if he got killed, okay. But he wasn't going to go back to prison," Cowley stated.

Dorothy is wanted in Maine on parole violations.

The 35-year-old prisoner, who is scheduled for trial April 19 in the Sandusky case, now faces new charges in connection with the botched escape.

Bauer is scheduled for a preliminary exam in district court April 10 on felony charges of escape Ð aiding prisoner; conspiracy to escape Ð aiding prisoner; escape awaiting trial Ð aid and abet; conspiracy to escape awaiting trial; felony firearms; firearms Ð short barreled shotgun/rifle; and a misdemeanor charge of firearms possession on restricted permit.

"The County of Sanilac owes a debt of gratitude to Deputy Ryan McConnachie for his professionalism of Ôjust doing his job'. His actions avoided possible serious injury, or even death, to fellow officers and innocent bystanders," said Undersheriff Garry Biniecki.

"I'd rather be writing the news release I wrote, rather than one that had several obituaries,"added Biniecki.

"McKenzie Memorial Hospital and its staff is grateful to Sheriff Virgil Strickler and his staff for their diligence in uncovering this plot which had the potential to create harm to innocent bystanders and staff at the hospital," said hospital CEO JoAnn Hall

"It is very advantageous to be part of a team of professionals where responses are quick, communications open and collaboration evident among those responsible for others' health, safety, and security."