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Teen escapee captured at apartment near LSU campus

11 months 3 weeks 1 day ago Tuesday, December 05 2023 Dec 5, 2023 December 05, 2023 12:58 PM December 05, 2023 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - One of two teenagers who broke out of the juvenile detention facility in Baton Rouge in late November was taken into custody during an operation at an apartment complex near the LSU campus early Tuesday afternoon.

Multiple Baton Rouge police units, sheriff's deputies and at least one tactical vehicle converged on the 3300 block of Willard Street around 12 p.m.

A short time later, Baton Rouge police said they had recaptured 17-year-old Willie Jackson.

Jackson and another 17-year-old, David Atkins, are accused of murder. The duo escaped from the detention center on Nov. 25.

For Atkins -- who is still loose -- it was his second escape in as many weeks.

Jackson was taken back into custody at a complex located just south of East State Street and east of Highland Road.

"I'm amazed that a judge, defense lawyer, prosecutor has not been hurt at the facility or any one of the workers there," District Attorney Hillar Moore told the Press Club Monday. "It was never designed to be secure. we are trying to make it secure and it has not worked."

Moore said ultimately there needs to be a discussion about a new facility and a dedicated funding source to make it happen.

"That's going to be about the money," Moore said. "That's a tough question for people to pay taxes, when people already pay taxes. Can we not use those and put it to this that's needed?"

Tuesday, City-Parish spokesman Mark Armstrong said following the escapes, there has been a 12-hour nightly BRPD detail at the perimeter of the building. Glass has been replaced, and doors to repair and replace the broken ones should be delivered next week.

An anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers led police to the location.

Anyone with information on Atkins' whereabouts is urged to contact Baton Rouge Police at (225) 389-2000 or Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-7867.

David Atkins (left) and Willie Jackson

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