NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)—Authorities at the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center say four teens escaped Wednesday around 4:45 p.m. after gaining access to swipe cards which let them out of the building.
“Involved human error for which we take full responsibility for,” Kyshun Webster, Executive Director of Juvenile Justice Intervention Center said.
“One of the juveniles got access to a swipe card and then opened up the cells for the others to escape,” he said.
The juveniles were able to out run the staff.
“We pursued them by foot and then by car until we lost sight of them at St. Bernard and Milton Street.
That’s where near the Columbia Parc Apartments police say one of the escapees carjacked a woman.
“These youth pose an imminent threat to public safety because they are here for violent offenses,” Webster said.
Today, law enforcement caught two of the escapees, 14-year old Nelson Banks on Stroelitz Street and then 17-year old Donovan Davis at Governor Nichols and North Johnson Streets. WGNO cameras were there as Davis was captured.
On Stroelitz Street where Banks was apprehended, three other individuals at this location will face charges of accessory after the fact for harboring and concealing the whereabouts of the juvenile fugitive.
Those individuals are Gerard Turner, Brittany White, and Lakisha White. Lakisha White is the mother of the juvenile fugitive, and Gerard Turner is the brother of the juvenile fugitive.
They are still looking for 17-year old Robert Brown and 15-year old Quinton Washington.
“NOPD has launched a search with local state and federal partners to apprehend these escapees, and as a result we are doubling down on our efforts to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Webster said.
The Juvenile Justice Intervention Center says staff shortages are also to blame for this incident. They are experiencing staff shortages because of the pandemic. They say they are working hard to recruit more staff. Currently they are budgeted for double the staff than they currently have.