Second of three teens who escaped from youth rehabilitation facility caught

2 teens caught after escaping PA youth rehabilitation facility

Two of three teens who escaped from a youth detention facility over the weekend have been arrested. The third suspect, a 15-year-old, has not yet been apprehended.

WASHINGTON - On Sunday, three D.C. juveniles escaped from a facility in Pennsylvania where they were in the care of D.C. Youth and Rehabilitation Services custody. Now, two of those teens have been caught but one remains on the loose.

What we know:

According to Pennsylvania State Police, around 1 p.m. on May 18, the three D.C. teens stole a Range Rover belonging to a facility employee and escaped the residential treatment center where they were staying.

FOX 5 has confirmed that the facility is called the Clock Towers School. At this time, they have not answered FOX 5’s questions about how they escaped.

But we do know that police were able to track a phone that was stolen and the teens' ankle monitors and realized they were in Washington D.C.

A short time after D.C. police were alerted the stolen car was in DC, they got word of a robbery and shooting involving that SUV. One of the escaped kids was arrested shortly after.

The other, 18-year-old Javontay Johnson, was arrested last night.

Johnson appeared in D.C. Court this afternoon and is expected to be extradited back to Pennsylvania where he’ll face six felony counts connected with this escape.

So two of these teens are in custody. Police say they’re looking for the third.

Local perspective:

The mother of a 15-year-old murder victim from 2022 tells FOX 5 that the 17-year-old escapee who is in custody, is the teen who killed her son.'

Tyeisha Lucas spoke with FOX 5 on Tuesday, saying she is heartbroken and outraged that the juvenile who murdered her son, 15-year-old Andre Robertson Jr., was able to escape the custody of authorities, leaving him free to commit another crime.

We also know that the same teen shot and wounded Commanders' running back Brian Robinson.

Dig deeper:

This facility in Pennsylvania has a history.

It was shut down in 2019, after allegations of mistreatment of the kids who were there. But it’s changed hands, new leadership.

Their website makes it clear that this is not a detention facility but more a support and counseling-centric environment. As for security, on the facility’s website, they say they have a 24-hour camera system and that they’re constantly monitoring safety and security.

That law enforcement source told FOX 5—and GPS maps confirm—there’s no fencing that surrounds the 800-acre facility, But law enforcement says that they’ve had very few issues with kids escaping recently.

What we don't know:

FOX 5 has tried to learn more about how and why these three teens were placed at this facility but DYRS says there are privacy rules they have to follow.

The Brief