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An inmate awaiting trial for murder and attempted murder was charged with attempting to kill a deputy and attacking two other officers inside an Orange County jail.

Emmanuel Vega, 36, of Riverside, was charged in connection to a Jan. 12, 2019, attack inside the Theo Lacy Facility, a county jail in Orange, the O.C. District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Monday. Vega allegedly attempted to kill an Orange County sheriff’s deputy and attacked two other peace officers in the jail, officials said.

Vega was charged with one felony count of attempted murder of a peace officer with premeditation and deliberation, one felony count of aggravated assault on a peace officer, and two misdemeanor counts of battery on a police officer.

Vegas pled not guilty on Feb. 28.

“A crime of this severity is indicative of a sophisticated criminal element operating within our jails,” Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Don Barnes said. “This is a challenge that sheriffs statewide are experiencing. We are taking proactive steps to address and mitigate the impacts.”

Vega is being held on $1 million bail and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life if convicted on all four counts.

Vega is scheduled to appear in court April 24, county booking records show.