Sedgwick County Corrections Asks for Public’s Help to Find Juvenile Escapee
(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – The Sedgwick County Department of Corrections is asking for the public’s help finding a juvenile escapee who might be injured and dangerous. 15-year-old Leonard Crosby III escaped custody while being transported from Olathe, KS, back to the Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF) on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023.
Corrections staff had restrained Crosby in handcuffs, belly chain and shackles. At approximately 2 p.m., near Lincoln and I-135, the Wichita teen kicked the window out of the transport van, breaking the glass and dislodging the door. Crosby fell out of the vehicle and ran through traffic in the direction of Lincoln and Hydraulic. Corrections staff searched that area but could not locate the teen. They notified law enforcement, and the 18th Judicial Court issued an escapee warrant.
The public is asked to contact 9-1-1 with any information on Crosby’s whereabouts.
Leonard Crosby III is 5’5, 142 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Crosby has a tattoo on his left forearm that reads, “Blessed,” and another tattoo on his right forearm that reads, “Christinia.”
Crosby was being housed in JDF due to prior charges against him, including:
- Aggravated assault and use of a weapon
- Unlawful discharge of a firearm
- Possession of marijuana
- Aggravated battery
The Sedgwick County Department of Corrections has not had an escape from custody since 2008. An internal investigation into Crosby’s escape is underway, and appropriate measures will be taken to minimize the chance of this happening again in the future. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the investigation into the criminal damage to property and escape from custody.
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