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  • Echo Glen escape: Officials identify four teens on the run after escaping children's center
Seven inmates escaped Echo Glen Children's Center on Sunday, (Image via @jasonrantz/Twitter)

Echo Glen escape: Officials identify four teens on the run after escaping children's center

Seven inmates of Echo Glen Juvenile Detention Center escaped the facility after allegedly assaulting a staff member on Sunday, May 28, 2023. Of the seven inmates, police have located and caught three, while the rest are still on the run. Police have released the identity of three others - Daniel D. Navarro, Ramon P. Chavez Jr., Jessy J. L. Krikorian Jr.

Two of the three inmates who have been captured have been identified as Diego Torres- Topete, and Timothy G Hernandez- Ebanks. Two of the seven inmates have also been in the detention center for murder.

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Law enforcement officials have urged the public to help them look for the remaining inmates who are still not taken into custody. It is also worth noting that the incident is not the first time that inmates fled the Echo Glen Children’s Center.


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Echo Glen Juvenile Detention Center inmates allegedly assaulted a staff member before escaping in her car

Residents and local people near the Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie have been living in fear since Sunday after seven inmates escaped the facility. Three of the seven inmates were spotted in Burien, around 30 miles away from the detention center, and were taken into custody. However, four are still missing. The seven inmates were in the age range from 15 to 17 years old.

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Charles, a resident of Burien, said that the fact that all the inmates made their way to the town is scary for the residents.

The incident reportedly happened on Sunday, May 28, 2023, shortly after midnight. The seven teenagers assaulted a staff member who was doing routine checks then. They stole her personal items including her car keys and her car, a white 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. Soon after the escape, law enforcement officials were notified and they arrived and locked down the detention center.

Maria, a resident who resides near Echo Glen, said that it was a little nerve-wracking and that it happens more often than the residents would like.

On Sunday, shortly after 9 pm local time, authorities recovered the stolen vehicle in Vancouver. Police also confirmed that one of the escapees faces a charge of second-degree murder.

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King County Sheriff’s Office released a flyer with information about the escapees. The flyer read that the police are seeking the public's help in locating the inmates who had escaped the Echo Glen Children's Center. The flyer also had images of the teens who had escaped.

Overnight the remaining four juveniles were captured by Clark County Sheriff’s Offfice and are now in custody. Thank you to @ClarkCoSheriff. The investigation into the events surrounding the escape of the seven juveniles is still ongoing and active.
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The flyer stated that the department was sharing the news keeping in mind the safety and well-being of the public. It added that while the whereabouts of the teens were unknown, they could be driving a white 2018 Chevrolet Equinox that they had stolen.

According to investigating officers, a neighbor spotted the teens in Burien, where they were trying the run from the cops outside an apartment complex. The resident said that they saw three boys "flying across the yard." They added:

“I don’t know where they expected to go from there… and the police cars showed up. They're saying, ‘Stay in your house’. So that their police dog, a beautiful Doberman, could scout around the yards and see if anybody was still hanging around.”

Another resident identified as Tony Garcia stated that it has been a long time since he saw such huge police forces in the neighborhood. Garcia said that they saw police cars all the way down the road.

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I can tell you they were captured by Clark County Sheriff's Office. And the stolen vehicle they used (belonging to an Echo Glen staffer) was also recovered.

One of the inmates arrested in Burien was also involved in an escape that took place in 2022

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Authorities urged the public to reach out to them if they possess any information regarding the teens who are still on the run.

A similar incident happened at the Echo Glen in April when four inmates escaped. They, however, were located and soon returned to the facility. In 2022, in a separate incident, five boys escaped Echo Glen Children’s Center after assaulting several staff members at the facility.

In the 2022 incident, the escapees even forced a staff member into a “quiet room” and locked him there. Another boy allegedly brandished a knife at the staff member who was locked in the room. The teens were, however, located. Shortly after this incident Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families confirmed that new safety changes must be formed.

One of the inmates named Timothy G Hernandez- Ebanks, who was involved in Sunday’s escape, was also involved in the escape that happened in January 2022. Timothy is also one of the teens who have been arrested in Burien.

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Echo Glen recently received funds for a security upgrade. However, a staff member, who wishes to stay anonymous, claimed that the facility is severely understaffed, and that has affected the security system too.

Echo Glen Children’s Center got $8M in funding for security upgrades after 2-escapes last year. Staff check rooms every 15min and entry gate now requires key card .#komonews
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A review of the recent incident will be conducted by a Juvenile Rehabilitation Critical Incident Response Team. This team consists of individuals who do not belong to the facility. Meanwhile, the authorities are trying to get a hold of the four teenagers who are still on the run.

People are urged to contact the police if they happen to see any of the four inmates who escaped the facility.

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Edited by
Madhur Dave
 
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