A 14-year-old male who climbed a 16-foot security fence and fled the Rankin County Juvenile Detention Center in Pelahatchie on May 21 was captured late that night after an attempted truck theft and a roughly 20-minute pursuit, the Rankin County Sheriffs Office said.
Detention officers reported the youth ran to the perimeter during outdoor recreation after a basketball, grabbed the fence and climbed over. A detention officer initially grabbed the suspect on the fence but the youth broke free and fled into a wooded area, the sheriffs office said.
Rankin County Sheriffs Office K-9 units, Flowood Police Department K-9 units, Mississippi Highway Patrol K-9 units and the sheriffs office drone team assisted a search that included aerial and ground efforts and checkpoints. At about 11 p.m. an alert resident on Banks Street reported the escapee at her home attempting to steal a white Chevrolet 2500 pickup, the sheriffs office said.
Deputies located the stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The suspect fled, leading deputies on a pursuit across several county roads before they boxed the vehicle in on Mount Ridge Road, a dead-end, where the youth tried to escape through a cutover and became stuck. Deputies took him into custody. Pafford Ambulance Service transported him for treatment of injuries sustained during the escape, and he was returned to the juvenile detention center after medical care, the office said.
The suspect was being held on charges of auto theft and auto burglary and is scheduled to appear before Youth Court Judge Josh McCrory. The Rankin County Juvenile Detention Center opened in 2011 and this was the facilitys first escape, Sheriff Bryan Bailey said. “We hope the quick recapture of this escapee provides peace of mind to our citizens,” Bailey said, adding, “We give praise to God for protecting our citizens, our officers, and the suspect during yesterday’s incident.” He said he and Judge McCrory are reevaluating outdoor recreation security procedures and will implement additional measures while remaining in compliance with state and federal guidelines. Bailey thanked the deputies, dispatchers, detention officers and assisting agencies, including the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Pelahatchie Police Department, Flowood Police Department, Brandon Police Department, Madison Police Department and the Scott County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance.
The stolen vehicle sustained heavy damage; the owner, who operates a small landscaping business, relies on the truck for his livelihood and the damage will directly affect his operations, the sheriffs office said. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
