Two teen escapees from the William F. James Boys Ranch were
apprehended Friday morning by Morgan Hill Police. Since January, a
total of eight teens in three separate incidents have run away from
the Probation Department facility in northeast Morgan Hill. All
have been caught.
Two teen escapees from the William F. James Boys Ranch were apprehended Friday morning by Morgan Hill Police.
Since January, a total of eight teens in three separate incidents have run away from the Probation Department facility in northeast Morgan Hill. All have been caught.
“What concerns me is why didn’t they know they were missing,” Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming said Friday afternoon.
There has been an increased public focus on operations of the facility since January when four youths fled following a gang fight. The Probation Department had agreed to notify Morgan Hill police within 10 minutes of an escape.
Kathy Duque, deputy chief probation officer, acknowledged early Friday evening that Ranch staff did not notify Morgan Hill Police in a timely manner.
“Notification of the Morgan Hill Police Department didn’t take place as quickly as new guidelines require,” she said in a statement. “However, upon detection of the two Ranch runaways, Ranch staff immediately assisted in the pursuit of the runaways and maintained close contact with the police.
“Ranch Manager Mike Simms stated he is immediately taking corrective measures to insure security procedures are strictly adhered to in the future.”
Cumming estimated that the escape took place at approximately 8:30 and said the call came in from the citizen who spotted the boys after 9am.
“They managed to get at least a mile and a half away, were gone for a considerable time, but no one was aware of that,” he said. “I have asked them (the county Probation Department, which oversees Ranch operations) to find out what went wrong, to find out how things can be tightened up.”
The two teens, 15 and 17 years old, were seen near the Marie Callender’s restaurant at Cochrane Road and Sutter Boulevard across from the Cochrane Plaza shopping center in north Morgan Hill.
The facility is located several miles away on Malaguerra Avenue in a wooded, rural area near Anderson Lake County Park.
“An alert citizen noticed their distinctive clothing and called police,” Cumming said.
The boys were wearing Ranch uniforms. The tops are khaki-colored, while the bottoms are green.
When the call came in, Cumming said, all five officers on duty were dispatched to the restaurant. On seeing the approaching police, both boys fled.
One was caught near the restaurant, while the second was apprehended approximately 45 minutes later in the Madrone Parkway area a short distance away.
The boys were returned to the facility.
Chief Probation Officer Sheila Mitchell, who was out of the office, released a statement on the escape attempt on Friday.
“The James Ranch facility was secured and the Morgan Hill Police Department initiated a search for the two youths, setting up a secure perimeter around the facility. The two youths were apprehended by the Morgan Hill Police Department by 10:40am.”
The citizen who phoned MHPD after spotting the teens, Cumming said, “really had their eyes open.” He said the police department appreciates alert citizens who notify them of suspicious circumstances.
There are 82 boys currently at the facility, according to Mitchell. Mitchell said in her statement Friday that the county is working on measures to prevent escapes.
“The Probation Department continues to work closely with Morgan Hill Police and the Sheriff’s Office in establishing security measures to prevent runaways from the facility,” she said.
“The security of the Ranch is of utmost concern and a high priority to both the County Board of Supervisors and the Probation Department.
“The county Executive’s Office and Probation Department continue to move forward with securing a GPS tracking system for all the youth housed at the James Ranch facility.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or phoning (408) 779-4106 ext. 202.
