Four juveniles who escaped from the Edgecombe Youth Development Center on Thursday evening have been found, Rocky Mount Police Department reported. The police were alerted to the escape at around 6:45 p.m., with the address provided as 78 Positive Way. Rocky Mount police alongside Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office were involved in an overnight search that successfully located three of the juveniles a few hours later, near the center, as detailed by CBS17.
According to authorities, the last of the escapees was apprehended Friday afternoon and a news conference was scheduled at 2:30 p.m. for a full briefing of the events, per ABC11. Three juveniles, identified by their first names and last initials as Quadarius H., Jayden W., and David B., were found just before midnight Thursday and returned to secure custody according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety had previously expressed a high degree of concern for the safety of the juveniles and the public, due to a prior history of unpredictable behavior, highlighting the urgency of the search. The fourth juvenile, Eric M., remained at large for a period on Friday, with a specific search focused around a Sheetz gas station along U.S. Highway 301 and involving more than 15 law enforcement officers in addition to drones, according to a report by WRAL.
Officials have not disclosed a motive for the escape but have shared details about the intensive efforts to locate all four teens. Eric M., the last found of the quartet, was described as last seen wearing standard khaki pants, uniform green polo-style shirts, gray sweaters, and black shoes. Now that all juveniles have been captured, the focus shifts towards investigation, and, the Department of Public Safety will likely seek to understand the lapses that led to the incident.
