Gloucester News

Merrimac Escapee apprehended in Gloucester

Reporter Brady Landry

On January 14, an unnamed escaped convict finally surrendered late Monday evening to the Gloucester Sheriff's Department. The teenager, aged 17, was originally held in Merrimac Detention Center before being sent to Ark at the Northern Neck Counseling Center.

An “extensive manhunt” was launched by the Sheriff's Department on Monday, after the teen was found on Duval Avenue near the Gloucester Courthouse area, with the help of K-9 dogs, drones, York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, and the York County Fire and Life team. He proceeded to run from law enforcement on foot, running throughout the neighborhood, and his action temporarily shut down route 17 in the process.

The Gloucester Sheriff's department released a statement via Facebook:

”The Sheriff’s Office is actively searching for a juvenile who escaped the custody of a Merrimac Detention Center Officer at 12:10pm. The juvenile fled from the officer at the Northern Neck Counseling Center in Ark. The juvenile is described as a 17 year old white male, with brown hair and brown eyes, 5 ‘ 6 tall and weighs approximately 160. Subject was wearing blue pants with a blue and gray detention center sweatshirt and a blue t-shirt underneath. If you see this individual, please call 911. The juvenile was being held on assault on a law enforcement officer charge.”

The juvenile was at large for several hours. The sheriff's department released the following after the juvenile’s capture:

“After an extensive manhunt by dozens of deputies, using K9 Units and Drones, the Sheriff's Office was able to take an escaped juvenile into custody early this evening. The juvenile was in the custody of Merrimac Detention Officers, on charges related to an assault on law enforcement when he escaped earlier this morning. The Detention Officer was transporting the juvenile offender to the Middle Peninsula Counselling Center for a counseling session when the juvenile escaped custody. Sheriff’s Deputies completed an exhaustive search of the woods and neighborhoods that surround the Counselling Center.

An anonymous tip made later in the afternoon led deputies to the area of Duval Avenue within the Courthouse when Sheriff Warren noticed a suspicious vehicle attempting to elude contact with law enforcement. Sheriff Warren was attempting to stop the vehicle when the escapee fled on foot, leading multiple deputies on an extensive foot chase through the neighborhoods in the area. Deputies were able to close off all possible avenues of escape, temporarily closing RT. 17 before the juvenile fugitive surrendered to deputies in the wetlands between the Courthouse and RT. 17. The attached photo is of the deputies, leading the suspect out of the waist-deep waters after the juvenile was taken into custody. The juvenile was later transported by GCSO to the hospital for a medical evaluation and then returned to the custody of the Merrimac Detention Center.

Sheriff Warren would like to thank all his personnel, who went above and beyond today, as well as the York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office and the York County Fire and Life Safety for responding with their Drone team.

The post by the Sheriff's Office caused an uproar on Facebook, with name calling and arguments breaking out between Gloucester Citizens. The uproar has died down for the most part, and the teen is back in Merrimac.