Raleigh police find five children who escaped from Holly Hill Hospital

All the children who escaped from Holly Hill Children's Hospital in Raleigh during a 3-day span have been found.

Raleigh police confirmed it responded to the facility on Michael J. Smith Lane on Sunday to investigate three male juveniles who left the hospital without authorization. Those children were found in Cary on Sunday.

Then on Tuesday, five juveniles escaped from Holly Hill, one of whom also escaped on Sunday. On Thursday afternoon, police told WRAL News all five of those children had been found.

A total of seven have gone missing from the hospital at one point in recent days.

Parents worried for children's safety after disappearance

The trend has the hospital and parents concerned for the children's safety.

Erika Sosa said she has been living a nightmare since she got word her 16-year-old son was one of five who went missing from the hospital.

"They called us and told us he and four other kids have broken out," Sosa said.

Sosa said her partner, Trisha Klutz, got the call last night, letting her know her son had escaped the facility.

"This is exactly how it went, verbatim and word for word. She said, 'I am calling to let you know your son ran away," Trisha Klutz said.

Sosa said that is all the information they received, and they have otherwise been left in the dark about what happened or how the facility is working to find him.

Children previously escaped the hospital

Sosa said her son called earlier in the week to tell her others had run away from the hospital just days before.

Records obtained by North Carolina Health News from June 2021 show health regulators from the state Department of Health and Human Services put Holly Hill under "immediate jeopardy" after finding several deficiencies, including conditions that allowed two patients to escape the facility by jumping over a fence.

The parent of that child, who wished to remain anonymous, said their son was involuntarily committed to the hospital. The parent said after they took their son to the emergency room, the hospital planned to take their son to Holly Hill.

"I specifically asked the healthcare team and the emergency room not to let my child go to Holly Hill...because I had just heard a lot of concerns," the parent said. "The first hospital to accept the referral with a bed available is where your kid is going to go."

The parent said their son was on the run for days.

"He didn't have any shoes on, any socks on or any belongings," the parent said.

Parents want answers from Holly Hill

The parent said they filed a complaint against the facility with Health and Human Services, but never heard back.

"[I] mailed the letter in June 2021...they said in reference to the complaint...these concerns have been reviewed and they'll be assigned for investigation. You'll be contacted when the investigation is complete" the parent said. "I didn't hear anything."

The parent said she want to share her story after hearing Sosa speak with WRAL News earlier Wednesday.

"When I read the article, I'm thinking 'Okay, we're three years out almost and why is this still happening?'" the parent said.

Kristin Chavez-Anthony, a parent for a 15-year-old who escaped the facility Tuesday night, said police told her that someone among the five teens simply took the badge to leave the facility.

"What protocol do you guys have in place that one person can, I guess, [get] ganged up on by five teenagers?" she asked.

Sosa said she feels let down and wants to hold this facility accountable.

"He was already on suicide watch. How do I even know I am going to get a call that they find him?" Sosa said.

Wednesday, the family drove from where they live in Charlotte to find the answers they are looking for.

"We are just trying to get to the root of what happened," Klutz said.

The anonymous parent said they want an overhaul to the involuntary commitment process in North Carolina, so parents can have a greater voice in where their child stays.

A sentiment Chavez-Anthony shared.

"I trusted this place with my child. If I had known, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation," she said.