SEATTLE — An 18-year-old who escaped from a juvenile detention facility in eastern Washington before allegedly sexually assaulting two women in the Seattle area was supposed to be in state custody until 2023.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was not notified by the Department of Children, Youth and Families that Javyantre Sin, 18, had escaped a juvenile facility on June 21, according to a spokesperson. Prosecutors found out when they learned of the new allegations against Sin in the two new cases that occurred in Tukwila and one in West Seattle in August.
Surveillance images and a series of snapchat posts helped police catch Sin, who is accused of assaulting the women within a span of nine days. He was arrested on August 19.
"We were stunned to find out that he was out of custody and it's quite concerning,” said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
McNerthney said Sin was supposed to be in the state's custody until November of 2023 for crimes committed when he was a juvenile, including robberies, burglary and vehicle theft.
Prosecutors learned he was placed into a medium-security facility at first, but he was reportedly moved into the Sunrise Community Facility in eastern Washington, a place with “no fencing and unlocked doors,” according to court documents.
Court documents state that on June 21, Sin and two other residents ran out the unlocked front door of the residence and got into a getaway car.
"We didn't learn about this until we got a case on our desk where two people were sexually assaulted,” McNerthney said.
"He saw that he got away with it one time, why couldn't he get away with it a second time?” asked Melissa, who asked that only her first name be identified.
Melissa is a friend of one of the victims; a 25-year-old woman who was walking home when she was grabbed from behind and dragged into a wooded area in West Seattle. According to police, she was sexually assaulted, robbed and beaten so badly she had to be hospitalized. That happened on August 15.
On August 6, court documents state Sin raped and robbed a 16-year-old girl in Tukwila. The teenager was reading a book while waiting for her shift at work to start at Southcenter, when he approached, according to police.
"He did not only change my friend's life, he changed a 16-year-old girl's life. He ruined their view of the world,” said Melissa.
In West Seattle, the community has rallied around the 25-year-old victim, raising funds to help her as she recovers, and raising awareness about the violent attack.
"When you see the level of violence here, that's why we're concerned,” said McNerthney.
In reference to the June escape, McNerthney added, "we can make a motion for a warrant; we can certainly connect the victims in the previous cases."
He said in a case like this, the prosecuting attorney's office could have done those things, if they had been notified.
The Department of Children, Youth and Families released a statement that said, in part, "we have reviewed this case internally and protocols designed for both public safety and rehabilitation were followed in this case to include proper law enforcement and court notification. Efforts to locate this person never paused nor stopped."