HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL (WFLA) – Two teenagers escaped from the Falkenburg Academy in Hillsborough County Sunday morning, deputies confirmed.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies said the escape probably happened at about 9 a.m. Sunday. The escaped teens were at the outside recreation yard with other residents. At about 9:20 a.m. a facility staffer noticed that some of the teens were looking at the fence. The staffers found a hole in the chain link fence there.
They also realized that two teens were missing. The headcount confirmed that Anthony Bays, 18, and Anthony Cook, 17, are both gone.
Deputies said they were wearing green shirts and blue pants.
Both teens were at the Department of Juvenile Justice facility on Grand Theft Auto charges. The Falkenburg Academy is classified as a juvenile residential care facility.
The Florida Department of Justice released the following statement about the escapes on Monday-
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice was notified Sunday morning that two non-violent youth offenders escaped from Tampa Residential Facility, a residential treatment program for males, ages 14 to 18, operated by G4S Youth Services. Law enforcement was contacted and reported to the facility, and are working to locate the youth.
“We are working with law enforcement to ensure that the two youth that escaped are quickly and safely taken into custody,” stated Secretary Christina Daly. “DJJ staff will be conducting interviews and thoroughly investigating to ensure this does not happen again.”
Youth in the Tampa Residential Facility are to be supervised 24-hours a day, including when on the recreation field. DJJ’s investigation will determine whether appropriate supervision was in place and whether or not all policies and procedures were followed. Admissions to the Tampa Residential Facility have been frozen, and DJJ staff have been onsite to begin work with G4S on an immediate corrective action plan.
If you have any information about where they may be, please call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200 or Crime Stoppers, which is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the location and arrest of the two escaped juveniles. Anyone with any information regarding this case and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at www.crimestopperstb.comMORE STORIES YOU MAY FIND INTERESTING: – Motorcyclist killed by SUV driving wrong-way in Dunedin – TPD officer injured in crash pursuing carjacker – 8 On Your Side discovers major sinkhole activity near Tampa school
