Teens Appear In Court After Echo Glen Escape

SEATTLE — Three teens could face several new charges after escaping a juvenile detention facility and fleeing in a stolen state vehicle, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The sheriff's office said five teen boys escaped the Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie on Wednesday, and three were caught Thursday in Kent.

Two remained on the run Friday afternoon, along with a gray Ford Fusion taken from the facility.

Of the three teens caught Thursday, a 17-year-old boy appeared in court for a first hearing Friday, while two other boys waived their right to appear and were represented by attorneys.

According to prosecutors, juvenile court judge Nelson K.H. Lee found probable cause to hold the teens on suspicion of five new offenses, with one teen accused of a sixth offense: second-degree assault. All are accused of escape, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, robbery and theft of a motor vehicle, prosecutors said.

One of the teens, a 15-year-old boy, was convicted of first-degree murder in August and received a sentence ranging from 180 weeks to his 21st birthday. Another boy was serving a sentence between 129 and 260 weeks for a robbery conviction, prosecutors said.

According to the prosecutor's office, formal charging decisions related to the escape are still pending additional documents from the King County Sheriff's Office, with updates expected by Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The court ordered the teens to have no contact with each other and directed staff at the juvenile facility to take steps to ensure they could not interact. The sheriff's office was still searching for the other two teens Friday and asked anyone with information about their location to contact law enforcement.