Jahmir Moore was reported missing from the Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Sunday when he failed to show up for a headcount, said Tampa Police Deputy Chief Ruth Cate during a news conference. Surveillance footage revealed Moore running west from the facility around 10:45 a.m.
Police launched an extensive search around the center, located on W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tampa, west of N Dale Mabry Highway. Officers deployed a helicopter and bloodhounds while also reviewing surveillance videos from nearby businesses to trace Moore’s movements.
“He is considered to be a very dangerous individual,” Cate stated. “We are deeply concerned about his being out of custody.”
Moore was last seen wearing a dark green T-shirt over a blue Department of Juvenile Justice-issued shirt, blue slacks, and white shoes. He is described as a Black male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 145 pounds, with dreadlocks and a scar on his forehead.
Authorities warned that Moore might be armed and advised the public not to approach him. Instead, anyone spotting him should immediately call 911.
“Anyone who helps or harbors him will also face arrest,” emphasized Tampa Police Major Patrick Messmer.
The detention center is near Steinbrenner Field and a short distance from Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
Messmer noted a strong police presence at the stadium, supported by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. However, officials did not believe Moore posed a threat to the crowds at the stadium.
Moore was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder in the April shooting of Jevario Buie, a 14-year-old boy who was killed near railroad tracks in the Lowry Park neighborhood.
During a news conference on Thursday, police stated that home surveillance footage captured Moore walking with Buie and another individual just minutes before the fatal shooting.