HOFFMAN — A teenager is back in custody after reportedly escaping from the Richmond-Jenkins Juvenile Detention Center on McDonald Church Road Sunday afternoon.
According to a press release issued Monday by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the facility “in reference to a possible escaped juvenile detainee” on Feb. 25.
When deputies arrived and spoke with officials at the facility, they “determined” that an unnamed 17-year-old had fled from the facility.
The sheriff’s office set up a perimeter and was aided in the search by the N.C. Dept. of Corrections bloodhound team, N.C. State Highway Patrol’s Air Unit, Hamlet Fire and Rescue, Richmond County Emergency Services, and the N.C. Division of Juvenile Justice, according to the press release.
No official announcement about the escape was made by the sheriff’s office or Department of Public Safety.
However, there was a post that circulated social media identifying the teen by name and listing his height, weight and describing the clothing he was wearing.
The post, which was shared by multiple residents and the Derby Volunteer Fire Department, stated the teen was charged with murder, but that has not been confirmed.
The sheriff’s office says the teen was found by a deputy, taken into custody and returned to the facility.
The Richmond Jenkins Juvenile Justice Detention Center is one of nine state-operated facilities in the state.
According to the DJJ website:
“Juvenile detention centers are secure, temporary facilities where a juvenile will stay while waiting to go to court or until a placement can be arranged. Juveniles are placed in detention by court order pending hearing, disposition or placement. Prior to adjudication, statute requires that the court review the need for continued secure custody so juveniles have frequent court appearances where alternatives to detention are considered. Youths are typically housed in a detention center closest to their home county. The centers receive admissions through assigned regions or catchment areas.”
Possia Sanders has been director of the facility since Sept. 25, 2023.
The General Assembly has allocated more than $14 million in recent years for renovations to and operations of the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center.