ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Police Department is now more than 48 hours into a manhunt for a juvenile murder suspect who escaped from the city’s juvenile detention center Saturday evening.
The 17-year-old suspect had been there since Dec. 8, but escaped around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. He is charged with second-degree murder after police said he shot-and-killed 20-year-old Calvin Kelly on Shreve Avenue in late October.
No details about the suspect or how he escaped have been released due to the him being a juvenile, and has not yet been charged as an adult, according to a St. Louis Circuit Court spokesperson.
As the court hasn’t tried the suspect as an adult, they legally cannot share any information regarding name, physical description, or pictures.
“I don’t have a description of the juvenile and can’t provide more about the escape because it involves building security and it’s also part of the ongoing investigation,” Joel Currier, St. Louis Circuit Chief Communications Officer, said in a statement.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore’s team declined to comment at an event Monday night.
Those who live by the detention center said they find the entire situation unsettling. Anthony Waters has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years.
“Oh man, I’m shocked. I can’t believe it,” Waters said. “It makes me feel like they’re hiding something, or somebody’s not on their job.”
Waters feels it’s important the public know exactly who to look out for.
“People need to know something, because this guy… we don’t know who he is, or where he could be. And he could be anywhere in this area,” he said.
Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office declined to comment on the matter, pointing to the fact the juvenile detention center is a state-run facility.
