Crossroads Wilderness Institute

[Helena Handbasket]

Looking for more reports - about 9:30 am, I heard a radio report that stated two kids were missing.

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/ ... tp1ch6.htm

08/16/06

Fire destroys Crossroads' cafeteria

The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the Tuesday morning blaze. Officials at the facility reported a possible gas leak just prior to the fire.

Crews from three agencies battled a fire at Crossroads Wilderness Institute that destroyed the cafeteria building Tuesday morning.

None of the 28 juveniles staying at the moderate-risk facility for young offenders was injured.

The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the blaze, which started shortly after officials at the rural facility reported a possible gas leak.

The juveniles finished breakfast in the cabin-like cafeteria building Tuesday morning without any problems, said Charlotte County Fire Chief Dennis DiDio.

Shortly thereafter, some of the teens complained of burning eyes. No smoke or flames were seen, DiDio said. All staff members and juveniles left the building.

Crossroads officials called the gas company to report a possible gas leak, said Bucky McQueen, chairman of the board of directors at Crossroads, and Deputy Chief Bill Cameron.

A short time later, smoke began pouring out of the small, empty cafeteria building.

Fire crews from Charlotte and DeSoto counties joined Bayshore to battle the fire in a remote area near the Glades County line.

The cause of the fire remained undetermined Tuesday.

"Maybe somebody left something on," DiDio said.

The juveniles, between the ages of 14 and 18, will be able to stay at the 35-bed institute. The American Red Cross, along with the institute's parent company Associated Marine Institute, will build a temporary kitchen until the cafeteria can be rebuilt, McQueen said.

A staff of about 30 works at the 20-acre facility, where the state Department of Juvenile Justice sends young offenders from across South Florida. The 20-year-old Crossroads is located off Bermont Road, four miles east of State Road 31, on the large tract of land recently acquired by the state through the Babcock land deal.

You can e-mail Christy Arnold at carnold@sun-herald.com.

By CHRISTY ARNOLD

Staff Writer
   
   

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[Deborah]

08/18/06
Crossroads looks at policies to prevent future escapes

Boys waiting fate in Fort Myers

The Crossroads Wilderness Institute will launch an investigation into the escape of two teens Wednesday morning to see if their security policies need revamping.

"We will find out exactly what happened and find out how the young men were able to get away, and make whatever changes to our policies are needed," said Jimmy Davis, an official with Associated Marine Institute, the parent company of Crossroads. "Hopefully, we can stop the situation from happening again."

At about 2:30 a.m., Tony Klarides, 14, of St. Petersburg, and Antonio Jackson, 15, of Fort Myers, escaped from the moderate-risk facility in eastern Charlotte County, about 15 hours after a fire destroyed the cafeteria building at the facility.

While the boys are not suspected of having anything to do with the fire, officials think it might have given them a perfect opportunity to escape.

"The boys saw that as a moment to try to escape from the program," Davis said.

Davis said neither boy had attempted to escape before Wednesday.

According to Charlotte County Sheriff's spokesman Bob Carpenter, there has been seven incidents of escape reported since 2000 involving 12 juveniles at Crossroads.

The boys were found Wednesday evening in the Babcock Ranch area by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers.

"We were part of a contingent that included Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, the Lee County Sheriff's Office and Division of Forestry," said FWC spokesman Gary Morse.

The boys were unharmed but dirty, and offered little resistance once the officers caught up with them, according to Morse.

"The boys and the officers were covered in mud and cow patties," he said Thursday.

The teens were taken to the Charlotte County Jail, where they were charged with felony escape and then transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Fort Myers, where they are awaiting a review hearing in front of a judge.

Possible sanctions could include being moved to a high-security facility.

"They could even be sent back to this facility, depending on what the judge says," Davis said.

Florida statutes prohibit Crossroads from disclosing what crimes the boys committed to be placed into the program, although Tony's father, John Klarides, said his son has been there since May.

"He did stupid stuff, you know, smoking marijuana and running away," Klarides said. "But he's a great kid. He'd do anything to ask of him."

Klarides expressed dissatisfaction with Crossroads, calling them "too strict" and felt his son ran away because of poor treatment at the facility.

"That's why he took off," Klarides said from his home in St. Petersburg Thursday. "He was scared there."

Klarides claims the facility is too hard on the juveniles there, taking away visitations with family and cutting their one 5-minute phone call a week short and monitoring phone calls to family members.

"If I curse, he gets in trouble," Klarides said.

Robert Patterson, the regional director for Crossroads, said Crossroads' "job" is to teach and encourage the children there to become productive citizens.

"We hope they learn different techniques in decision-making and use them to make better choices for themselves," he said.

You can e-mail Alyssa Schnugg at schnugg@sun-herald.com.