Teen murderer recaptured after escaping from New Mexico juvenile prison

A teenager who pleaded guilty to killing two people escaped from a New Mexico juvenile detention center Saturday night, but gave up and turned himself in early Sunday morning, police said.

Josef Toney, 19, escaped from the Albuquerque Juvenile Detention Center around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen.

Although various law enforcement agencies responded to the escape, Allen said communication between cops was poor. Toney was initially listed as “missing and endangered” and the county sheriff's department was not notified until nearly four hours after his escape.

But at 1:37 a.m. Sunday, Toney returned to the juvenile detention center and turned himself in, Allen said.

“We are very fortunate that no one else was injured in this incident,” the sheriff said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

Allen said he thought Toney simply ran out of energy and resources before giving up and deciding to quit.

“He got here on his own,” he said.

Toney was booked into the Albuquerque adult prison, according to Allen. He said the move was allowed because Toney committed a new crime by escaping.

Earlier this year, the youth pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder for the fatal shootings of Aerial Mallam, 21, and Jessica Casaus Lucero, 31, on Jan. 27, 2021, in Albuquerque.

After killing the two women, Toney remained on the run for 10 months before being arrested in Denver.