Department of Juvenile Justice issues explanation after releasing wrong inmate

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Five months after an officer allowed 15-year-old inmate Zachary Winn to leave the Orange County Juvenile Detention Center, the Department of Juvenile Justice released a 50-page internal investigation outlining what went wrong.

Winn was released after an officer confused him with an inmate who was up for release with a similar last name.

The officer was given a written reprimand for pulling the wrong paperwork. Her supervisor, Lt. Eddie Fletcher, was suspended for three days for "poor performances, negligence, inefficiency and violation of agency rules."

"I don't think three days were enough. That's a security issue if someone gets out that easy," Orange County resident Pamela Byrd said.

When Fletcher held the paperwork for Winn's parent to sign, he only bent the pages halfway, covering the actual inmate's name at the top, allowing the parent to sign the wrong inmate out.

"If they violate that, they should be discharged. Folks who live near the facility think the punishments weren't harsh enough," Orange County resident George Giannis said.

Winn was being held on charges of larceny theft, trespassing and violation of probation, according to officials. Winn was eventually caught a day later and charged with escape and resisting arrest.

A state spokesperson said that this has never happened before and that no policy changes are being made.

WFTV