County Probation increases security at James Boys Ranch; three
youths remain at large
The county Probation Department beefed up security Thursday at the William F. James Boys Ranch following the escape early that morning of two 18-year-olds. It was the third escape in as many days.
The 18-year-olds ran away from the facility on Malaguerra Avenue in northeast Morgan Hill at 1:57am. The two youths bolted from their beds and ran out a rear exit door of the dormitory.
A search of the area for the teens for several hours by Sheriff’s Office deputies and Morgan Hill police was unsuccessful. As of presstime Friday night, the youths had not been located.
Two additional probation security staff were added to the graveyard shift at the ranch beginning Thursday said Bill Fu Bill, public information officer for the Probation Department. Also, the Sheriff’s Office has assigned a graveyard shift deputy patrol (K-9 unit) for security. Another deputy remains on duty most of the time during the day.
A 17-year-old boy ran away from the county Probation Department facility early Wednesday morning. He, too, remains at large. Two other youths escaped Tuesday morning, and were captured less than hour later a short distance away.
“The Probation Department is taking the recent runaway incidents very seriously,” Fu said Thursday morning.
Fu said the Probation Department is attempting to organize a meeting in the near future to talk with neighbors and other interested community members about steps being taken to increase security.
The Board of Supervisors, which is responsible for ranch operations, on Tuesday will consider spending approximately $500,000 for a GPS monitoring system.
The youths would wear ankle bracelets that would alert officials if they attempted to leave the ranch property.
In Thursday’s escape, both teens were wearing T-shirts, briefs and sandals.
Ranch staff followed security procedures and immediately secured the rest of the dorm area, Fu said. The staff then notified Morgan Hill police of the runaways.
The Sheriff’s Office also assigned a deputy to remain on the grounds for the reminder of the evening.
“We were called almost immediately,” Morgan Hill Police Lt. Terrie Booten said Thursday. “We had four units on the scene looking for them.”
The search included a bike path that runs past the ranch toward San Jose.
“It’s great they’re increasing security. Anything we can do to alleviate the situation is good,” Booten said.
In Wednesday’s incident, the teen left his bed to go to the restroom and ran through the main door of a dormitory at 2:38am after evading county Probation Department staff members on duty.
A search of the area by Morgan Hill Police and Sheriff’s Office deputies was unsuccessful. He has not been located.
“In our endeavor to ensure the immediate safety of the community, the Probation Department is working closely with the Morgan Hill Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office toward the apprehension of the minors,” said Sheila Mitchell, chief officer for the Probation Department.
“Furthermore, we are considering additional security measures to prevent future runaways from the James Ranch facility. The county executive, Board of Supervisors and the Probation Department view community safety as a top priority.”
On Tuesday, two teens were captured less than an hour after their escape.
The boys, 15 and 16, were part of a work crew on the grounds of the former Holden Ranch when they ran for a fence separating the two facilities at 11:25am, according to Fu.
Counselors, who were with the boys, notified a deputy sheriff on duty outside the ranch.
The deputy then contacted the Morgan Hill Police Department. The teens were apprehended by deputies in the backyard of a home on Saint Mark’s Drive at 12:20pm and taken to Juvenile Hall.
On April 1, two teens ran away from the ranch, which is located in a wooded, rural area near Anderson Lake County Park. They were located several miles away, near the Cochrane Plaza shopping center, where a citizen spotted the boys and called police. The police department in turn called the ranch and notified staff that the boys had escaped.
Chief Probation Officer Mitchell said the department is conducting an internal investigation into that incident.
Since January, a total of 13 teens in six separate incidents have run away from the facility. All but the two from Thursday, one from Wednesday and one from a January escape have been captured.
Of the nine who were captured, five are currently at Juvenile Hall and two are at home with electronically monitored ankle bracelets. County Probation Department staff is checking into the status of the remaining two youths.
None of the escapees was returned to the Boys Ranch.
Staff Writer Marilyn Dubil contributed to this story.
