BATON ROUGE, LA – Two teenage murder suspects, both 17, staged a daring escape from the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center, prompting an intensive search by local police and federal agents, according to authorities on Saturday.

The breakout marks the second escape for one of the teens within recent months, intensifying concerns over security at the detention facility which has been under scrutiny for previous breaches and incidents of violence.

The teens, who were not immediately identified due to their age, managed to elude the authorities at an undisclosed time before their absence was detected. One of them, previously charged with second-degree murder, had earlier escaped on November 13, in an incident involving a skirmish among detainees.

The November escapee was eventually captured after his disappearance triggered a manhunt lasting over a day. The latest incident only bolsters a troubling pattern at the juvenile detention center.

The history of security issues at the facility includes a breakout last year where five youths overpowered a staff member, seized her keys, and left her confined in a cell without any means of communication. During that incident, several detainees even armed themselves with makeshift weapons.

These frequent security breaches spurred East Baton Rouge Parish officials to allocate $2 million for security enhancements. Despite these planned improvements, which were in the planning and design stage after the previous escape, the facility continues to grapple with managing and maintaining the containment of its detainees.

Efforts to capture the two fugitives are ongoing, with the East Baton Rouge police and the U.S. Marshals Service at the forefront of the search. The community has been alerted and advised to report any sightings or information that could lead to their capture.

As local and federal law enforcement work together to address the unfolding situation, questions regarding the implementation of the long-discussed security upgrades at the juvenile facility are likely to surge, casting a sobering light on the challenges faced by such institutions in preventing escapes and ensuring public safety.