DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said one of the seven juvenile escaped offenders is now in custody.
Public Information Officer Melissa Bujeda said Landon Hood of Clay County was taken into custody Tuesday and faces an escape charge. He was picked up at a Kangaroo gas station on the Westside.
According to a police report, Hood called his mom, who turned him in. He refused to say how he and four other teens escaped the facility, but did mumble, "you'll never find them."
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Six other juveniles who escaped from Duval Academy are still at large, said Bujeda. Duval Academy is a non-secured state facility that houses males between the ages of 14 and 18.
Police reports said a 14- and 15-year-old at Duval Academy on the Westside used a discarded Christmas tree to climb the fence Friday morning. Then on Monday morning, five more teens used the tree to escape.
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- Related Story: DJJ: 7 juvenile offenders escape from Duval Academy
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice works with Youth Services International, which operates Duval Academy, to locate the youths.
The other escaped teens are Anthony Bays, Duval County; Tristen Belanger, Santa Rosa County; James Mobbs, Bay County; D’Wann Watkins, Orange County; Logan Murphy, Walton County; Cole Drake, Orange County.
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Although the teens are in for non-violent crimes, neighbor Hubert Little isn't happy with how things are being handled.
"At the time it first happened, nobody said nothing. The second time it happened, nobody said nothing. So, I think they need to tighten up security," Little said.
We had some questions of our own, so we took them straight to JSO and the DJJ. We can't see what the escapees look like, because mug shots can only be given out for the teens who have felonies, which hasn't been clarified what criminal charges they had against them.
When asked how they can simply hop the fence and leave, the state said it is looking into it and will make necessary changes once a review is complete.
Little says, no excuses. Especially when the juveniles may do anything to keep from being caught.
"Somebody needs to tighten up on the job," Little said.
As for the other missing teens, a couple have active warrants out for their arrests. Police are in the process of securing the rest.