Search intensifies for teen boys who escaped Barrett Town lock-up

The St James police say they have intensified their search for the three teenage boys who escaped custody at the Barrett Town police lock-up, where they were being housed pending the hearing of their court cases. 

The three teenage escapees include: a 16-year-old student from Rent-Land in Mount Carey; a 13-year-old student of the Rose Mount community who is before the Western Regional Gun Court for robbery with aggravation and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition; and a 17-year-old, of Hermitage district in Bethel Town, Westmoreland, who is also facing the Family Court and Western Regional Gun Court.

The three escaped custody on Friday afternoon, after cutting the locks to the grille door that secured their cell at the Barrett Town Police Station. 

A number of persons living in close proximity to the police station told The Gleaner that three youths fitting the description of the escapees, were sighted in their community on Friday evening.

" Mi sure seh a the three boy dem mi si a walk pon the road," one taxi operator from the community stated. "Mi realise seh dem look kinda nervous, su mi start pree dem a way, and den mi si wen dem chuck off inna some bush and run gone."

Continuing, the taxi man said: "People inna the area kinda concern yah now, because wi a hear seh a three the hard way, wi hear seh the boy dem terrible, so wi only a hope seh dem don't say bout the place and tun problem pon wi inna Barrett Town."

Reports are that the station guard noticed that the boys were missing about 4:30 p.m., while in the process of placing another juvenile in a cell.

"This jail break is a little different from normal, because as you see we are dealing with troubled children," one officer told The Gleaner. 

"The police are carrying out searches of the parish to have them back behind bars as quickly as possible, but like I have said, this is not a case where we are in search of fully grown criminals, so the police are faced with a much greater challenge, as young boys tend to blend into the general population easily that fully grown men,"the officer added.

In the meanwhile, the police are asking anyone with information that can assist in the recapture of the boys to immediately contact the Barrett Town Police Station, police emergency at 119, or Crime Stop at 311.

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