ST. MARTINVILLE, La. (KLFY) — Louisiana State Police (LSP) and the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) are investigating a recent incident in which a firearm was found in the possession of a 16-year-old that had recently escaped and been taken back into custody, according to LSP.
The firearm was discovered in the possession of a 16-year-old juvenile escapee recently taken into custody on Thursday, January 20, 2022, by LSP Troopers.
The 16-year-old was arrested on U.S. 61 near Thomas Rd. in East Baton Rouge Parish after troopers located an occupied stolen vehicle that was connected to two wanted juvenile escapees. Troopers found one of the two juveniles in the vehicle and learned of the details of the escape, multiple vehicle burglaries, an alleged accidental shooting with a stolen weapon, and two vehicle thefts committed by the escapees.
The 16-year-old was taken into custody, treated at a local medical facility for injuries, and booked into the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center. The second escapee was located several days later in Pointe Coupee Parish by local law enforcement search teams.
On January 25, corrections officers at the Acadiana Center for Youth St. Martinville facility discovered a hidden firearm after the 16-year-old admitted to bringing the weapon into the secure facility. The circumstances of how the firearm was brought into the facility are part of the joint investigation.
After the discovery of the firearm, OJJ reached out to local law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, according to OJJ Deputy Secretary William Sommers.
“We are fully cooperating in this investigation to assure the safety of the youth in our care, our staff, and general public,” Sommers said.
