By Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera
El Paso Times
JUAREZ, Texas — Eighty-five men were transferred from Juárez’s juvenile detention center Tuesday night during a surprise police operation.
The men, between the ages of 18 and 22, were arrested when they were minors and became adults while being detained at the center.
They were transferred to the municipal police department’s jail in Babccora station, said Juárez city manager Hcctor Arcelcs in an interview recording on the city’s news website.
They will remain there four to five months while city workers finish building an annex at the juvenile detention center to house people who become adults, Arcelcs said.
“We decided to isolate the adults from the minors. These arrangements will be temporary,” he said. “We did this with the only purpose of protecting their integrity.”
Charges against the men, Arcelcs said, include homicide, armed robbery, auto theft, kidnapping and drug violations.
City officials decided to build the new annex after nine men escaped from the city’s juvenile detention center several weeks ago. Four of the fugitives have been captured.
Arcelcs said relatives of the transferred men will be able to continue visiting them at the Babccora station.
Copyright 2012 El Paso Times, a MediaNews Group Newspaper
All Rights Reserved