The seven teens who escaped
Sunday night from a metal health facility in Raleigh are accused of
attacking a staff member to get keys and kicked their way through a door to get
out, according to the facility’s CEO.
Holly Hill CEO Leigh Holston said four staff members had
minor injuries, marking at least the third escape from the facility in the last
three years.
“Staff on duty followed appropriate safety protocols,” Holston
wrote in a statement. “Holly Hill Hospital implemented enhanced security
measures following the event.”
Raleigh police said the seven teens who escaped Sunday are
back at the facility.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services provided a statement about what happened on Sunday.
“The NCDHHS Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) is aware of the incident [Sunday] evening at Holly Hill Hospital,” the statement reads. “DHSR cannot comment on possible or ongoing investigations.”
Sunday’s incident has raised questions about how people are able to get
out. For years, WRAL
Investigates has documented issues at the facility.
WRAL Investigates has
spoken with dozens of current and former employees along with patients and
parents. It includes Kristin Chavez-Anthony.
“You hear the word ‘escape,’ and you’re like, ‘excuse me,
what?’” Chavez-Anthony said.
Chavez-Anthony’s son was one of five teens who escaped the
facility in 2024.
“It was very stressful,” Chavez-Anthony said. “It’s a lot of
anxiety, a lot of what ifs [and] a lot of just unknowns.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies tracked down the seven people
who escaped on Sunday, including Raleigh police.
“I saw it this morning, when I first woke up, and honestly,
not shocked,” Chavez-Anthony said. “It’s unfortunate that … it seems protocols
haven’t changed.”
After the 2024 escapes, state inspectors cited Holly Hill. The
facility said it would make changes to prevent future escapes like adding more
door inspections and video audits to make sure enough staff are watching
patients outside.
WRAL Investigates sent several questions to Holston, including:
- How did the patients escape?
- What were the patients’ ages?
- How and when did the facility communicate the escapes to parents?
- What led up to the escapes?
- Were any patients or employees injured?
- Can you confirm what one patient told us, which is that the seven escapees teamed up and overpowered the security guard, taking his badge?
- What steps have been taken to ensure patients do not escape again?
- After the prior escapes in March 2024, Holly Hill outlined a plan to improve door inspections, and conduct video audits to ensure two staff members supervise patients outside. Did Holly Hill complete those changes?
- Did understaffing contribute to the conditions which allowed the escapes Sunday night?
Holston didn’t answer those questions specifically. However,
she shared that the hospital implemented enhanced security measures after
the escapes and said the facility meets requirements for staffing.
History of escapes, inspections from NCDHHS at Holly Hill facilities
This is the third escape the facility has had since 2024. In March of 2024, five teens escaped from the hospital over three days. In June, a 16-year-old girl escaped from Holly Hill
All the children were found safe.
According to a 2024 North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services inspection, which WRAL Investigates obtained a copy of, the hospital was cited for multiple standards of care. In the 40-page inspection, 10 pages specifically said the hospital violated policies preventing patients from escaping.
NCDHHS ordered the inspection shortly after the five teens escaped from the facility in March of 2024.
Additionally, a joint investigation by WRAL and North Carolina Health News uncovered a history of other issues at Holly Hill.
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