‘Dangerous’ teen murder suspect who escaped from detention center found with his parents: TPD
TAMPA, Fla. - A 15-year-old murder suspect is back behind bars after authorities say he escaped from a juvenile detention center on Sunday morning. Now, authorities are trying to figure out how he walked away.
Tampa police say Jahmir Moore was being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice Hillsborough Regional Detention Center after he was arrested last week for the shooting death of 14-year-old Jevario Buie, whose body was found along a set of Tampa train tracks in April.
Moore was reportedly last seen in an outdoor portion of the facility. During a 10:33 a.m. headcount, staff realized he was missing.
"He managed to escape from this secure facility around 10:30 yesterday morning," said Tampa Police Department Deputy Chief Ruth Cate. "Once Tampa Police Department was notified of his escape, we used all of our resources to look for him."
TPD used its K-9, aviation unit, plain-clothed officers, uniformed officers and calls from the public to help find the escaped murder suspect. Cate said that "good old-fashioned police work" led authorities to Moore.
Cate said Moore was found with his parents on Sunday night, although he was not located at their home. It is unclear whose home he was found at and authorities say that is part of the investigation.
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She added that Moore’s parents have not been charged, noting that in Florida, parents cannot be charged as accessories after the fact.
Moore was captured Sunday night after escaping a juvenile detention facility on Sunday morning.
According to Cate, Moore’s parents are cooperating. However, she added that if investigators discover that they helped Moore escape, they will face charges.
She said the Department of Juvenile Justice will be the ones to determine what staff should have been supervising him and how he was able to escape and what the circumstances were.
"We are very concerned," Cate stated. "We do not know how a young person in a secure facility was able to escape."
"He is a very dangerous individual," she added.
According to Cate, Moore was in the general population at the facility, but he is not in the general population now and is being housed in a separate facility in Pinellas County.
Mugshot of Jahmir Moore. Courtesy: Tampa Police Department.
"If it is determined that he is an escape risk, then they will take additional measures," Cate said. "At the time there was nothing to indicate that he was an escape risk, even though his charges were so severe."
On Sunday night, Major Pat Messmer of TPD said the State Attorney's Office will likely now charge Moore as an adult for the crimes.
"I believe they've already indicated that they do plan to charge him as an adult for the homicide," he said. "There's a grand jury because he was charged with first-degree murder that's supposed to have a grand panel. That was supposed to be done sometime this week."
Pictured: Jevario Buie. Courtesy: Tampa Police Department
Buie's grandfather, Michael Baldwin, said the family feels angry and frustrated that Moore was able to escape.
"My children, my family, they're afraid because this kid has been underestimated," Michael Buie said while Moore was on the run. "For him to do what he did to my grandson... he didn't just accidentally shoot him. And now, he is out and nobody knows where he is, we've got to get this kid off the streets fast, or he's going to hurt some more people, or worse, somebody is going to kill him."
Buie was last seen alive on surveillance video with a group of people on April 17, 2024. Tampa Police were investigating gunfire when they discovered Buie's body near railroad tracks between Busch Blvd and Rome Ave.
"When he was walking with these kids, with these killers, he was skipping because he thought he was walking with friends," Michael Buie said, "But they were on their way to murder him."
Police say social media messages, notes and search history helped link Moore to Buie's homicide.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has launched a separate investigation into how Moore escaped. Meanwhile, Tampa PD Major Pat Messmer said their investigation into Buie's homicide is ongoing.
"Anybody who aides him, who helps him, they're going to be arrested too for harboring a fugitive," he said.
The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force also joined the search for Moore.
In addition to his previous charges, Moore was charged with one count of escape from a juvenile detention facility.
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