Escapes and Incidents at Maine's Long Creek Youth Development Center

Strategic Insights -

A 14-year-old escaped the Long Creek Youth Development Center last Friday, prompting officials to investigate how the youth managed to escape. The teenager was not identified due to their minor status. The South Portland Police Department located and took the youth into custody around 11:53 p.m., returning them to the center. This incident follows several previous escape attempts and incidents at the facility, including two teenagers who jumped off the roof in July 2024 and a group of boys who attempted to break out of the prison in January 2024.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 14-year-old escaped from the Long Creek Youth Development Center on Friday, not being identified due to their minor status.
  • The escape occurred at approximately 9:32 p.m., and the teenager was returned to the center after being taken into custody by the South Portland Police Department at 11:53 p.m.
  • The investigation into the escape is ongoing, and officials are working to prevent future escapes.
  • In July 2024, two teenagers (Davyn Flynn, 18, and a 16-year-old) escaped by jumping off the roof, carjacking a woman, and evading authorities for nearly four days.
  • Flynn was eventually arrested in Biddeford and charged with escaping a correctional facility, as well as robbery, criminal threatening, assault, theft, and terrorizing.
  • On January 28, 2024, a group of nine boys attempted to break out of the facility by entering the fenced yard with a broken guitar, a table-top vice, and a fire extinguisher.
  • Police waited outside but ultimately did not intervene, as the boys remained within the secure perimeter.

Statistics:

  • The 14-year-old escape occurred on Friday, with a reported time of 9:32 p.m. for the initial escape and 11:53 p.m. for the subsequent recapture.
  • The two 2024 escape incidents involved two teenagers (Davyn Flynn and a 16-year-old) and resulted in a total of 5 arrest-related charges (2 for Flynn, 1 for the 16-year-old, and 2 for the girls involved in the carjacking).
  • The January 28, 2024, escape attempt involved 9 boys using a broken guitar, a table-top vice, and a fire extinguisher in their attempt to break out of the secure office.

Sources:

  • Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine) -
  • Maine Department of Corrections
  • South Portland Police Department
  • BDN reporter Callie Ferguson
  • Tribune Content Agency, LLC
  • Dispatch records obtained under a public records request