NEW ORLEANS — Five teenagers who were serving time for violent offenses escaped from a Jefferson Parish youth center on Thursday. As of Friday morning, four of those escapees are now back in custody and one remains at large.
The Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice identified the five teens as Curtis Tassin (New Orleans), Jaheem Mealey (Baton Rouge), Abraham Goodley (Lafayette), Bryson Lamelle (Lafayette) and Darreyon Thomas (Shreveport).
The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office said several of the teens stole a truck from Jefferson Parish around 10:05 a.m. after the escape. The truck was later seen in the Carencro area headed towards Opelousas, La. Around 11:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office said it received a call of a flipped vehicle near the 100 block of Richard Road in Opelousas and several people were seen running from the crash into the city.
The sheriff’s office said 32-year-old Keenan Grice, along with Lamelle and several other teens were taken into custody. However, it added that the whereabouts of the fifth teen, Tassin, a 16-year-old with a history of violence, are still unknown.
Authorities say that Tassin should be considered armed and dangerous, and anyone who sees him should call 911.
Tassin is described as a black male who is 6 foot, 1 inch tall and weighing about 180 pounds.
Tassin, the only escapee from the New Orleans area also escaped from the Swanson Center for Youth last year and was later caught in Lafourche Parish.
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