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Juvenile inmate briefly escapes from Echo Glen Children's Center

The juvenile was found a little over an hour later. The escape comes months after five other juveniles escaped the facility.

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Editor's note: The above video on Echo Glen Children's Center tightening security originally aired on Feb. 3, 2022.

A juvenile inmate briefly escaped from Echo Glen Children's Center Wednesday night. 

The facility is a juvenile rehabilitation center that houses medium and maximum security younger male offenders and younger female offenders. 

The juvenile hopped the fence of the facility around 8:39 p.m., according to the King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO).

A Washington State Patrol helicopter and a K9 unit were able to track the juvenile to the area of Borden Avenue and Ridge Street, according to KCSO. The juvenile was taken back into custody a little after 10 p.m.

The juvenile will face additional charges for escaping the facility.

The escape comes just over three months after five other juvenile inmates broke out of the center. The teens worked together to overpower Echo Glen staff and lock them in cells before they escaped in a stolen Ford Fusion.

The teens escaped the facility on Jan. 26, and three were apprehended the next day. A fourth teen was caught on Feb. 1 and the last escapee was apprehended on March 15. 

The Department of Children, Youth and Families dispatched a Critical Incident Response Team to review the January escape, but a root cause has not yet been identified.

The facility announced it would tighten security measures after the initial escape, including establishing a single point of entry, replacing the facility's video surveillance system, requiring maximum-security inmates to wear uniforms and increasing security on the grounds. 

    

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