Two Investigations Launched After Teen Escapee Shot By Police

Juvenile hall administrators in Indio admit mistakes were made by officers transporting a teenager in their custody Sunday night.

Today, an investigation is underway to find out how a 16-year old inmate escaped custody, and was shot by an Indio police officer.

Overnight, the boy underwent surgery, and is expected to survive, according to investigators. His vital signs are also improving.

KESQ.com was the first to report the incident on Blue Mountain Court near Belvedere Way on Monday morning.

An Indio resident called police around 7:20am to report his car being broken into on Antigua Drive.

Officers arrived to find the teenager running away. They followed him to a nearby home’s roof. That’s when an officer opened fire hitting the teen three times.

Ten hours earlier, Sunday night, police say the same 16-year-old escaped while being driven from Southwest Juvenile Hall in Murrieta to Indio. The teenager pretended to feel ill, and then slipped away from guards.

The boy had been in custody at Riverside and Southwest Juvenile Halls since December 2008 when he was arrested in Desert Hot Springs for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery.

The teen is now reported in critical condition. The shooting is under investigation by the Indio Police Department, while the Riverside County Sheriff?s Department conducts an investigation into the escape.