BRIDGE CITY – Reliable sources tell the WBRZ Investigative Unit five potentially dangerous juveniles escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth overnight.
The juveniles are all serving time for violent offenses, according to our sources.
Sources said the juveniles who got out overnight are:
– Curtis Tassin, from New Orleans, escaped recently
– Jaheem Mealey, from Baton Rouge
– Abraham Goodley, from Lafayette
– Bryson Lamelle, from Lafayette
– Darreyon Thomas, from Shreveport
Lamelle is 18 and the rest of the juveniles are between 16 and 17.
Sources said three of the teens had stolen a truck by the time law enforcement had caught up with them on I-49. Two of the juveniles in that vehicle were captured, and the third fled on foot.
By 2 p.m., sources said all but one of the escapees, Cutis Tassin, had been taken back into custody.
Details on how they got out were not made available by the Office of Juvenile Justice this morning. The escapes come amid a mess at the Office of Juvenile Justice and their Secretary Bill Sommers avoiding WBRZ interview requests to get to the bottom of what’s going on at his agency. Last month, The Investigative Unit caught up with him as he was leaving work after he canceled our scheduled interview that we had to talk about all the escapes under his leadership.
He gave a shaky explanation about the cancellation and an even more vague explanation about what’s been going on at the agency he leads.
The WBRZ Investigative Unit requested details from OJJ this morning.
