(NewsReady.com) – Days after Pennsylvania law enforcement recaptured a convicted murderer who escaped from jail, there was another jailbreak in the state. This time, it involved more than half a dozen teenagers. The police have now recaptured them too.
On Sunday, September 17, nine male teenagers escaped from the Abraxas Academy in Morgantown. The teenagers, ages 15 to 17, overpowered two female prison guards as a group. They stole their keys, left the facility through a side door, and then crawled under a fence to reach freedom.
The jailbreak took place approximately 15 miles away from where murderer Danelo Cavalcante crab-walked out of the Chester County jail. The response to the teens’ escape was massive. Roughly 60 police officers searched for them, using K-9 units and drones to try to find the minors quickly.
One of the teens tried to steal a vehicle, but its owner called the police after hearing the alarm go off. Law enforcement found four of the teens just before 6 a.m., about 4.5 miles from the detention center. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm told the press that the kids knocked on someone’s door and asked to turn themselves in. The other escapees were spotted in a stolen truck and trailer. They tried to run from law enforcement but were captured after a short chase. One of the teenagers tried to escape on foot but was caught in a field. Beohm said it appeared the escape was “planned, but poorly planned.”
The incident at Abraxas was the second major problem at the detention facility in recent months. In July, a fight between multiple teenagers led to a riot that took police hours to get control of. The facility provides services to more than 7,000 at-risk youth annually.
According to authorities, the teens are now facing charges of escape. They might also be charged with other crimes after law enforcement interviews them.
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