Six youth offenders apprehended after escape from Snoqualmie detention center

On Saturday night, when they were supposed to be locked in their rooms at Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie, six inmates knocked a staff member unconscious, locked her in a room and fled, authorities said.

The teenage boys apparently planned their escape from the juvenile detention center. Some had packed bags with them, and one boy even stuffed his bed to make it look like he was there, authorities said.

They were captured a few hours later after a helicopter crew using thermal-imaging equipment spotted them in nearby woods early Sunday, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

All of the inmates should have been locked in their rooms by 11 p.m., but they somehow managed to get out, said David Griffith, who directs institution programs for the state Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration.

“The kids were supposed to be locked in their rooms. It may have been a procedural error, or the youth hid out and she (the staff member) didn’t know where they were,” Griffith said.

Echo Glen Children’s Center is a medium and maximum security facility for offenders serving time mostly for felony crimes. The facility is not fenced, but is bordered by natural wetlands. It provides treatment services for younger male offenders and is the main institution for female juvenile offenders, according to its website.

“It’s very scary … We’ll investigate what went wrong, absolutely,” he added, noting that the agency will address procedural changes if necessary.

“They basically attacked the staff member, knocked her out, took her keys and fled,” said Sgt. Cindi West with the King County Sheriff’s Department. The teens left the woman unconscious and locked in a room at the facility, she said.

Griffith said the staff member was treated and is at home.

“This is a trauma that is not only physical but also emotional,” Griffith told 97.3 KIRO FM’s Ross and Burbank Show.

The teens were in a maximum-security unit of the juvenile correction facility, which currently houses about 165 youth offenders in 10 separate living units. The units include a small kitchen, living room and classroom.

“We’re not sure how it was initiated. It might have been a single person, or a concerted effort,” Griffith said. “The kids who assaulted the staff member opened the doors for all kids living in the unit, so there was a potential for the entire unit to escape.”

Six fled. Seven decided to stay.

“It was actually some of the other youth offenders that came to the aid of this staff member and so they’re the ones that actually found her and called 911,” said West.

She says the six youths that escaped all have long records.

“All of them have either been either there before or have quite a prior history of arrest,” said West. “The majority of them are there for some type of assault in the first place.”

She said the six males, three 14-year-olds and three 15-year-olds, were serving time for offenses including assault, possession of firearms and burglary.

The King County Sheriff’s office said it received word of the escape at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

The unarmed staff member was alone in the unit, which is typical after lockdown, Griffith said. She apparently wasn’t able to push a panic button or call security for help, he said.

Witnesses told detectives that the staff member was beaten with a chunk of ice frozen in a water bottle, the Seattle Times reported.

Law officers on the ground with search dogs and in the air combed the area on the outskirts of Snoqualmie before a helicopter crew spotted them in woods near the center, according to West. All were captured by 2 a.m. Sunday.

“The biggest reason they were apprehended so quickly was the helicopter,” she said. “Without that we would have been looking for needles in a haystack. It allowed us to apprehend them before they got into the neighborhood.”

Once the teens were spotted by the helicopter, they split up into three groups and ran in different directions, West said. Deputies in the helicopter were able to direct deputies on the ground, including K-9 units, to where the teens were running or hiding.

“We understood that at least one of the kids said he was going to fight or resist officers if he was apprehended,” said West. “These kids are already in there for violent offenses, and then they attack a staff member so that just shows their propensity toward violence, so the K-9 units are very helpful.

One was bitten by a police dog while trying to escape and was taken to a hospital for treatment, West said. The others were arrested without incident and booked on charges of assault, unlawful imprisonment and escape, she said.

Griffith said they are investigating the incident and working with staff and youth at the facility.

“We really need to take care of the staff and the kids that get traumatized in an incident of this sort.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.