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Two of Three Inmates Who Escaped Houston Youth Jail are Captured

Two 16-year-old inmates who escaped a juvenile detention center in Houston early Sunday were captured Monday, the U.S. Marshals Service in Houston said.
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Two 16-year-old inmates who escaped a juvenile detention center in downtown Houston early Sunday were captured Monday, the U.S. Marshals Service in Houston said.

Alferis Coby and Deionthay Harper, both 16, were captured separately by the service's Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force in the northwest section of the city.

A third inmate, 16-year-old Jahrell West, remained at large.

IMAGE: Alferis Coby and Jahrell West
Alferis Coby, left, and Jahrell West.Harris County Sheriff's Office

Details of the capture were not immediately available.

The inmates escaped just after midnight Sunday when Coby, who is facing a capital murder charge, convinced a jail guard to open his cell door. He allegedly assaulted the guard, then stole his cell phone and keys and freed Deionthay and West, both charged with robbery.

The three escaped through secure areas, Tom Brooks, executive director of the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, said during a news conference Sunday.

Brooks said that West and Coby had been “certified” as adults for the pending criminal charges against them, though it was unclear Monday if Harper had also been declared an adult.