ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A corrections officer is facing charges for allegedly helping two youths, one of whom is her son, who escaped from the St. Louis County Juvenile Detention Center this past summer.
According to Sgt. Tracy Panus, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis County Police Department, the teens escaped on May 29. It’s unclear why the juveniles, both 17 years of age, were in custody.
Police did not specify how they managed to escape the facility.
The day after the escape, the juveniles contacted an individual for assistance. That person provided them with transportation and firearms.
That individual was later arrested and made statements to investigators incriminating Michelle Royal, the mother of one of the juveniles, saying she provided similar assistance.
Detectives determined Royal had received phone calls from the juvenile suspect while she was on duty as a corrections officer at the St. Louis County Justice Center. They also said Royal transferred money to the juveniles via Cash App.
The teens were arrested on June 7 in north St. Louis County.
Royal, 39, was arrested on Oct. 25.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Royal with two counts of hindering prosecution. She remains jailed on a $30,000 cash-only bond.