Murder Suspect Rearrested After Fleeing Juvenile Hall

A murder suspect who escaped from Sylmar Juvenile Hall late Thursday was recaptured about seven hours later as he stood in line at a nearby McDonald’s, authorities said.

The escapee was not hard to spot--he was still wearing county-issued orange pants and a shirt that had the words “Juvenile Hall” prominently displayed across his chest.

The 16-year-old suspect from North Hollywood had been arrested Tuesday in connection with a March 16 drive-by shooting that left one man dead, said Det. Mike Coffey of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The teenager broke out of the facility’s infirmary, where he had been awaiting treatment for a case of tonsillitis, said Craig Levy, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

“He kicked out the window and climbed on top of one of the buildings,” Levy said, then used a blanket from the infirmary to scale a 15-foot-high wall topped with razor wire.

A manhunt ensued, said LAPD spokesman Willie Guerrero, involving dozens of officers aided by police dogs and a helicopter.

About 5 a.m., a security guard at Allied Signal Systems on the corner of Encinitas Avenue and Roxford Street in Sylmar called police to say that a young man was peering into parked cars in the neighborhood, said Guerrero.

Officers went to the area, where they were told by a bystander that the man had gone into a nearby McDonald’s. They found the escapee there about 6 a.m., said Guerrero, waiting in line to order breakfast.

The teenager had been arrested in connection with the slaying of 18-year-old Omar Mendez. Mendez was walking along the 11700 block of Stagg Street in North Hollywood when he was shot by a gunman riding past in a van, according to police investigators.

The district attorney’s office filed murder charges against Guerrero on Friday. Prosecutors say they will seek to try him as an adult.

“This is a hard-core gang case,” said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office. “If the court decides to try him as an adult, then he’s looking at first-degree murder and if he’s convicted it’s 25 years to life.”

Guerrero said the suspect may also face additional charges for attempted grand theft auto, and for escaping from the juvenile hall.

The escape prompted the county’s acting chief probation officer, Walter Kelly, to order security inspections of the Sylmar facility at 16350 Filbert St.

“He wants to look to see how did this happen and how it can be prevented from ever happening again,” said Levy.

About 700 youths are being held at Sylmar Juvenile Hall, said Levy. The last escape from the facility occurred six years ago, he said.