CLEVELAND — An Ohio teenager who escaped from a state-run hospital after ordering a ride-sharing pickup was taken into custody on Monday.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service found Lavelle Spencer, 17, hiding in the attic of a home.
Spencer was undergoing court-ordered mental-health treatment at Warrensville Developmental Center in Highland Hills on May 15 when authorities said he contacted a ride share service while he smoked cigarettes outside the facility with hospital employees.
Spencer is accused of being part of a group that committed six carjackings in late 2019 on Cleveland’s West Side. He also faces an unrelated sexual assault charge, and pleaded not guilty to the counts after his cases were moved to adult court in July.
He is being held in the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center pending a court appearance.
