The mother of a teenager who was caught on camera running barefoot through the snow after escaping from detention in January has been charged with aiding his escape.
Tashira McDonald, a 37-year-old woman, has been charged by St. Louis County prosecutors with aiding escape and hindering the prosecution of a felony. Currently, she is confined without the possibility of bond.
A 17-year-old named Jaden Arce escaped from the custody of juvenile detention staff on January 5th. They had been taken to a medical facility in St. Louis for treatment of a self-inflicted injury, as stated in a probable cause statement by the St. Louis County Police.
Arce’s daring escape from prison was captured in a widely shared photo posted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police. The image shows him running through the snow, barefoot and wearing his jail garb, as he makes a desperate dash towards Forest Park. It is worth noting that at the time of his escape, Arce was already facing serious charges including burglary, robbery, armed criminal action, and more.
Arce was captured the next day. It was discovered by investigators that McDonald had picked him up after he ran into Forest Park, and they both fled the scene. The police learned from jail phone calls that Arce had informed McDonald of his plans to escape days before.