JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — A teenager at a Jefferson Parish youth center reportedly attacked a guard before locking her up in a bathroom and escaping the facility over the weekend.
WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge identified Jonathan Sheard Jr. as the individual who escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth on Sunday. The 19-year-old from New Orleans reportedly escaped around 3 a.m. and has not yet been found.
The television station reports that Sheard had previously escaped in 2021 and was later captured in Lafayette Parish.
Since April 28, 2021, a total of 15 juveniles have escaped from the Bridge City facility on River Road.
The Office of Juvenile Justice said the staff member was injured in the escape and received medical treatment. The escape caused the building to go on lockdown, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police were notified. Authorities have not officially released the teen’s identity.
The latest escape comes just one month after five other teens escaped from the facility on March 17. Investigators say the youth stole a truck in Jefferson Parish and several traveled toward Opelousas, La. Four of the teens were recaptured after they crashed the truck near Opelousas. The fifth escapee, Curtis Tassin, still has not yet been caught.
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