RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A massive search was conducted Sunday night for several children who escaped a psychiatric hospital in North Carolina, police said.
Seven children escaped during a “disturbance” reported just after 8:05 p.m. at the Holly Hill Hospital – South Campus in east Raleigh, according to a Raleigh Police Department news release.
“Upon arrival, officers learned that seven juveniles escaped the facility on foot,” police said in the release. Police gave no immediate details about the disturbance.
Holly Hill is for inpatient and outpatient treatment of psychiatric and addictive diseases.
K-9 teams and drones were used during the search for nearly three hours. By 10:50 p.m., all seven escapees were back in custody, police said.
“These juveniles were not considered armed or dangerous, and there was no threat to the surrounding community during this incident,” police said.
The incident followed a large brawl in December 2024 involving more than 20 girls at Holly Hill. That involved people hitting each other with hands and feet — but also involved chairs and other items, police said.
Six of the girls in 2024 were taken to a local hospital to be checked for possible injuries.
The Raleigh Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the State Capitol Police Department were involved in the search and capture of the children on Sunday night.