Authorities detain escaped juvenile delinquent

AMMAN — Social Development Ministry officials on Tuesday said a juvenile suspected of murdering a police officer, who ran away from a centre in Ruseifa a day earlier, was back in custody.

“The police arrested the juvenile on Tuesday and we are currently investigating the incident,” Social Development Ministry Spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout told The Jordan Times.

Meanwhile, the official said another juvenile who ran away from the same centre last week was apprehended last Thursday.

“The juvenile, who was serving time on murder charges, was returned to the centre,” Ratrout added.

The official noted that a search is ongoing for four juveniles who ran away last month from the Usama Bin Zeid Juvenile Centre in Ruseifa District, some 12km east of Amman.

The four were among seven juvenile who left the centre without coordinating with the centre’s officials; the other three had returned earlier this month.

The seven boys were serving time on charges of uprooting trees and robbery, Ratrout said at the time.  

Ratrout declined to reveal any further details regarding the three incidents, stressing that an “investigation is under way by three committees and the ministry will issue a statement soon”.