Three teenagers have made a bold escape from an Oregon youth correctional facility, setting off an intense search by law enforcement. The breakout at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn took place Sunday night around 9:12 p.m., according to officials from the Oregon Youth Authority, and the facility was quickly put on lockdown as news of the escape spread, Fox News reports.
The escapees, all 19 years old and now fugitives of the law are identified as Angel Diaz-Barrera, Julian Diaz-Navarro, and Xavier Swimm, their flight from juvenile justice sparking warrants issued for their arrest as the Oregon State Police spearheads a mission to recapture the trio, Diaz-Barrera and Diaz-Navarro hail from Salem and Swimm from Portland, and they were incarcerated for violent offenses including first-degree robbery and several assaults, authorities from the youth correctional facility said in a statement obtained by KPTV.
The details of the convicts' sentences paint a dire picture of their previous run-ins with the law; Diaz-Barrera was serving time for a first-degree robbery and carrying and use of a dangerous weapon, while Diaz-Navarro was detained for an attempt at first-degree assault as well as dangerous weapon charges, KOIN 6 News divulged.
As police efforts intensify, the public has been urged to remain vigilant; anyone with knowledge regarding the whereabouts of these individuals, or details pertaining to the circumstances of their escape, is strongly encouraged to make immediate contact with authorities, with the Oregon Youth Authority emphasizing the importance of community assistance in their statement to local media the implications of their re-arrest could weigh heavily on a community already burdened by the specter of crime.
