5 teens escape immigration facility in Fife after assault on guards

Five boys at an immigration detention center in Fife escaped earlier this year after two of them assaulted guards and stole a key, court records say.

The breakout occurred at the Selma Carson Home, a 23-bed medium-security facility that houses boys in the country alone and going through federal immigration proceedings.

The boys remain at large following their June 17 escape. Two of them were charged at the time as juveniles, but their cases recently were moved to adult court when they turned 18.

Efforts to reach officials with the Selma Carson House were unsuccessful.

According to charging papers, the incident began when a 17-year-old boy called one of the guards from a control room.

The teen allegedly sprayed the 58-year-old woman in the face with a fire extinguisher when she approached him.

Simultaneously, another 17-year-old boy sprayed a 63-year-old female guard in the face with another fire extinguisher.

The guards reported that the chemicals temporarily blinded them and caused them to have difficulty breathing, court records show.

One of the teens allegedly grabbed a key card locked on one of the guard’s wrists and yanked, pulling the woman across the floor.

The cord eventually broke and the teens were able to steal the key card, which is required to open a tall, wire fence surrounding the facility at 619 54th Ave. E.

Three other boys escaped at the same time. Their ages were not immediately available.

Pierce County prosecutors charged the two teens involved in the assault on the guards with second-degree assault and second-degree robbery.

The facility is operated by Pioneer Human Services, a nonprofit that contracts with the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

It houses boys ages 12 to 17 who are “undocumented and unaccompanied,” according to its website.

Most of the children come from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico, the facility’s director of programming told The News Tribune in June.

This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 2:30 PM.