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9 teens escape from Pennsylvania juvenile detention center after a riot, police say

2023-09-18 13:20
Nine teenagers have fled from a juvenile detention center in Pennsylvania following a riot at the facility Sunday evening, according to police.
9 teens escape from Pennsylvania juvenile detention center after a riot, police say

Nine teenagers have fled from a juvenile detention center in Pennsylvania following a riot at the facility Sunday evening, according to police.

State and local law enforcement responded to the Abraxas Academy in Morgantown and took "back control of the juvenile detention center," the Caernarvon Township Police Department said in a statement.

Multiple law enforcement agencies are searching for the escaped offenders and have established a perimeter around the facility, according to David Beohm, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police troop in Reading.

Police advised anyone who encounters one of the escaped offenders to call 911 immediately. The teens may be wearing gray or white shirts, the Caernarvon police statement said. Beohm noted the teens may be wearing gray pants or shorts.

State police are working with Caernarvon authorities "to resolve the matter," the statement said.

The facility is about 15 miles west of South Coventry Township, where escaped murder convict Danilo Cavalcante was captured on Wednesday after nearly two weeks on the run.

Abraxas Academy is a "secure residential treatment program" that provides "specialized care for delinquent male youth between the ages of 14 to 18 in 9th grade or above," according to the facility's website.

"Treatment at the Academy is for youth who demonstrate a consistent display of delinquent patterns through multiple placements, serious charges, and problematic behaviors. Youth are admitted to the Academy for either habitual offending behaviors or for a history of sexual offending behavior," the website reads.

CNN has reached out to Abraxas Academy and the Berks County District Attorney's Office for comment.