MONTICELLO, Ark. — All four teenagers who escaped from a Monticello group home last week are back in state custody, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) confirmed Wednesday.
The final two youths, including 16-year-old Anthony James Parnell Jr., were recovered by authorities earlier this week, bringing a multi-day search to a close. The group had originally fled the Vera Lloyd group home on the evening of Friday, Nov. 6, at approximately 8 p.m., sparking concern among local officials and nearby residents.
The recovery process occurred in two stages over the weekend and the following days. Two of the four teens were located and returned to custody on Saturday, shortly after their unauthorized departure. It took several additional days for authorities to track down Parnell and the fourth teenager, whose identities and specific circumstances of discovery have not been disclosed by the department.
Parnell, who has been in the care of the department’s Division of Youth Services since June, was the only member of the group whose case mandated a public notification. Under Arkansas state law, the Department of Human Services is required to alert the public when an offender escapes custody if they were committed for an offense that would be considered a felony if committed by an adult.
DHS records indicate that Parnell was being held on charges including breaking or entering, theft of property, and theft by receiving. Because of the nature of these charges, his absence prompted a heightened alert level during the search, though the department has not released details regarding the safety or behavior of the individuals during their time away from the facility.
The Vera Lloyd group home, which serves as a residential placement for youth under state supervision, has not released a formal statement regarding the security breach that allowed the four teenagers to leave the premises without authorization. It remains unclear how the group managed to exit the facility simultaneously, or if any additional security measures will be implemented at the site in the wake of the incident.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services expressed relief that all four individuals have been safely accounted for and returned to state custody. No injuries were reported during the search or the apprehension of the teenagers.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges surrounding the security and management of youth residential facilities in the state. As the teenagers are processed back into the system, the focus for the Division of Youth Services will now shift to internal reviews of the circumstances surrounding the escape. Further details regarding the status of the investigation into the breach have not been made available at this time.
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