Juvenile Inmate On The Loose After Escaping Court-Ordered Program

Two youths have escaped from court-ordered program at Juvenile Hall in Indio today, authorities said.

The incident happened at 1:30pm, today. Shortly after the initial call they caught one of the juveniles near the area.

The second escapee is still on the run. Police are searching a quarter mile radius around neighborhoods close to Juvenile Hall.

The boys were in a group of five teens heading from the living unit to the classrooms of the Youth Offender Program when two of them bolted toward a 10-foot fence, said Alan Crogan, chief probation officer for Riverside County.

“One boosted the other person over the fence,” Crogan said, adding that staff were able to quickly grab the second youth.

The other teen, who is about 6 feet 5 inches tall, was able to climb up the exterior wall of the facility and escape, according to Crogan, adding that the security at the program is minimal.

The youth was last seen wearing military fatigues, Crogan said.

“I’m confident we’ll apprehend him,” Crogan said. “They generally go home or a boyfriend or girlfriend’s house.”

Ben Guitron of the Indio police department encouraged residents not to contact the boy, who was wearing a black shirt and shorts, and instead call 911 and give a location.

“We’re searching the surrounding neighborhoods. We have assistance from Border Patrol because of their tracking ability,” Guitron said.

This follows two other escapes by detainees at the Indio facility.

The latest happened on May 10 when the inmate faked an illness and ran off. He was shot by an Indio police officer the next day.

The previous incident happened May 6 when a juvenile suspect managed to open the door of a transport van on Interstate 10 while it was in motion. He was caught moments later.

Stay with News Channel 3 and KESQ.com for the very latest on the search.