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Mayor calls escape of 'dangerous' teens from Juvenile Justice Center 'unacceptable'

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Posted at 3:15 PM, Dec 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-05 16:19:58-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Mayor John Cooper released a statement following the escape of four teens from the Juvenile Justice Center.

Decorrius Wright, 16, Morris Marsh, 17, Brandon Caruthers, 17, and Calvin Howse, 15 escaped through the front door of the center Saturday night.

WATCH: Surveillance video shows 'dangerous' teens escaping Juvenile Justice Center

Davidson County Juvenile Court Administrator Kathy Sinback said "critical oversights" allowed the teens to get out, and Police Chief Steve Anderson called the situation a "perfect storm" of things that went wrong.

Police officials also condemned the company that manages the center, Youth Opportunity Investments (YOI), over the large delay between the time of the escape and when staff notified police.

Two of the teens were arrested Tuesday night, but two remain on the run, one of which is suspected of murder.

On Wednesday Mayor Cooper released the following statement saying, the YOI contract is being reviewed.

"The escape of the four juvenile detainees this weekend is unacceptable. Given that there is an active police investigation into this matter, we are awaiting the findings of the Major Case Task Squad investigation to make any determination regarding the YOI contract. In the meantime, we continue to prioritize the swift return of the remaining escapees into police custody."

READ MORE: Broken: Multiple security breaches may jeopardize juvenile detention deal