Authorities search for 7 teens who escaped juvenile facility

Author: Associated Press
Published: Updated:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Authorities are searching for 7 teens who escaped from a youth residential treatment program in Jacksonville.

The Department of Juvenile Justice says the boys who escaped the Duval Academy are all non-violent offenders.

Department spokeswoman Heather DiGiacomo tells The Florida Times-Union (http://bit.ly/1ASjx9Y ) that two of the boys fled the facility Friday while on a recreation field and five others followed on Sunday.

The academy is a 28-bed facility for males ages 14 to 18 and is managed privately by Youth Services International.

Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Christina Daly says the agency is working to find the teens, and is conducting an investigation to ensure the breakouts don’t happen again.

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