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LAS CRUCES - A 17-year-old gang member who escaped the J. Paul Taylor Juvenile Detention Center west of Las Cruces is being sought by law enforcement, according to New Mexico State Police.
Oscar Rios was sentenced to a maximum two-year commitment in state custody in December after he and another juvenile robbed someone at gunpoint in November, according to authorities. Rios was cleaning the detention center's administrative offices Sunday night when he walked out the lobby doors and escaped, according to his arrest warrant.
Rios, who also goes by Oscar Hernandez, is described as Hispanic, 6-feet 1-inch tall, weighing about 160 pounds, with a medium complexion, brown eyes and black hair, according to a warrant, which lists his gang affiliation. He has several tattoos: three dots near his left eye, a teardrop near his right eye, and the name "Esther" tattooed on his right wrist.
Anyone found to be harboring the teen could face felony charges under state statute.
State police have been actively pursuing all leads into the whereabouts of Rios since his escape and have obtained a warrant for his arrest. If you have any information about Rios' whereabouts, you are asked to call (575) 524-6112.
