NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — People who live in Rivers Cove at Carleton Falls wondered why they never heard about a violent escape from the Newport News Behavioral Health Center that took place in March.
The facility is steps from their backyards.
“My son rides his bike back and forth here. It absolutely terrifies me,” said Chris Hartman, who found out about the escape from 13News Now. “Had I known, we would have locked down a lot tighter than we normally do."
According to court documents, 16-year-old Aaron Groome choked out an employee at the center on March 23 while another patient took the keys. The other patient was caught immediately. Groome disappeared for nearly two months.
"Absolutely terrifying because if they are going to hurt someone to get out, they may hurt someone to hide,” said Hartman. “I can only imagine if they wanted to hide in our home or something, they would kill someone to get into our house.”
A friend of Groome told 13News Now he was staying with a friend in Chesterfield County which is where someone found his body on May 8. Police said a train hit and killed him.
A woman named Pamela, who lives in the neighborhood with Hartman, has worked in behavioral health for more than 20 years. She said there are a lot of facts about this case that don’t make sense.
“It’s a little alarming for me because I’m not understanding how two teens were able to get a hold of the nurse,” said Pamela. “My concern is why the nurse was alone.”
Pamela also said there should be a better plan in place the next time a patient escapes this center.
“I feel that an alert should have went out, much like an AMBER Alert,” said Pamela.
13News Now reached out to Newport News Behavioral Health Center multiple times. No one responded.