Sept. 18 (UPI) — Nine juveniles escaped a Pennsylvania detention center during a riot that erupted at the facility Sunday night, authorities said.
The youth fled the Abraxas Academy, located in Morgantown, Pa., which is about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, at around 8 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police spokesman David Beohm said via X, formerly known as Twitter.
The youth were described by the Caernarvon Township Police Department in a statement as being “on the run” and wearing white or grey shirts and grey pants.
A search perimeter has been established around the facility, Beohm said, while adding that Pennsylvania State Police was looking for the juveniles in conjunction with “multiple” other law enforcement.
Beohm also urged the public to contact authorities if they see anyone matching the description of the escaped youth.
No other information on the escape or the riot was made available other than the Caernarvon Township Police Department stating local and state law enforcement were at the academy where they “have taken back control of the juvenile detention center.”
UPI has contacted the Berks County District Attorney’s Office for comment.
According to its website, the Abraxas Academy houses “delinquent male youth between the ages of 14 to 18 in 9th grade or above.”
The escape comes less than a week after convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante was recaptured in the same region of Pennsylvania. Cavalcante had escaped Aug. 31 from the Chester County Prison, which is located about 30 miles south of Abraxas Academy.