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Homeowner Catches Teen Escapees In Shed

Posted: 6:00 pm EST November 18, 2009Updated: 6:46 pm EST November 18, 2009

Two teenage criminals might have pulled off the perfect jailbreak in Osceola County, if it wasn't for a homeowner with a gun.

The kids successfully escaped from a juvenile detention facility on South Orange Blossom Trail near Kissimmee Wednesday afternoon and were running free, until they tried to hide in Brad Anderson's shed.

Anderson told Eyewitness News what he did when he found the juveniles.

Brad Anderson pointed out the spot in his shed where he discovered two escapees from the Adolescent Residential Campus in Intercession City Wednesday. The juvenile facility for medium-risk males is about one mile from Anderson's Osceola County home.

“They were trying to get me to let them go and I said, ‘No, you have to do your duty,’” he said.

He didn't show WFTV the gun, but the .380 semi-automatic Anderson was holding may have been more persuasive than his words. Anthony Bentley, 16, was previously charged with grand theft and burglary. Chase Swanson, 15, was charged with armed robbery and burglary.

Brad Anderson walked the two teens over to a fence where he told them to stay put until he could flag down an officer. A sheriff's deputy was there in just five minutes.

“I told them life isn't always easy you have to buckle down and earn your way through life,” Anderson said.

Bentley and Swinson escaped by grabbing another teens' dental retainer. Deputies say they threw it over the fence and told the owner if he helped lift the fence, he'd get his retainer back. The two teens climbed under the fence, threw back the retainer and kept going for three to four hours.

Anderson decided not to press charges against the teens for breaking and entering.

“I figured they were in enough trouble, they were young kids. They just wanted to go home,” he said.

The teens will have to face a judge again for escaping the detention center. The Adolescent Residential Campus said it is its first escape this year.

Both the Adolescent Residential Campus and the Department of Juvenile Justice are investigating the escape to determine if any corrective action needs to be taken.
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