Police are still searching for two teenage boys who escaped Maine’s only youth prison Friday.

Multiple law enforcement agencies began searching on Friday evening for the two suspects, who they said broke out of Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland and then stole a white Honda Civic in a “strong-armed” robbery at the Liberty Commons apartment complex in South Portland around 7:30 p.m. Police say the boys threatened a victim with a gun, but no weapon was displayed.

Police have identified Davyn Flynn as a suspect in a carjacking. Courtesy South Portland Police

South Portland police are investigating the carjacking and released a statement Monday night identifying one suspect as 18-year-old Davyn Flynn, of Portland. Police did not release the name of the second suspect, a 16-year-old male.

Police issued arrest warrants for the two boys around 6 p.m. Monday, charging them with robbery, criminal threatening, assault and terrorizing, Detective Lt. Christopher Todd said in a prepared statement.

While Todd did not explicitly mention the escape in the statement, the department described a carjacking that matches the time and Liberty Commons location of the teens’ robbery. Todd did not reply to calls and emails Monday night requesting additional details or confirmation on the robbery’s potential connection to the escapees.

The vehicle was found later that night and the boys were last seen around 10:30 p.m. Friday in Biddeford, the Maine Department of Corrections said on Saturday. It’s unclear whether the suspects have been spotted again. A spokesperson for the department said he could not provide the names or ages of either suspect because they are juveniles.

Multiple agencies assisting in the investigation refused to provide information on the case or the teens Monday, including how they escaped.

The South Portland Police Department initially responded to the breakout, but on Monday afternoon Deputy Chief Kevin Gerrish said in an email that the department is now only investigating the armed robbery.

The Department of Corrections, which took over the investigation into the escape, refused to answer questions about the escape or whether the teens have been spotted recently.

And Ryan Guay, a senior inspector for the U.S. Marshals Service, said that while the agency is assisting the department, he won’t discuss the ongoing manhunt.

‘WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, THEY LOCK THEM DOWN’

It’s been years since anyone has escaped the facility, though no one could say exactly when the last one was.

Sharon Craig, an attorney representing one of the escaped teens, said she hasn’t seen a breakout in her 25 years of practice.

While she declined to provide any details about her client or the escape, Craig said she’s concerned the incident will prompt tighter security where residents are mostly confined to their rooms – a measure that has been taken recently to combat staffing shortages, attorneys told the Press Herald in March.

“I’m certain they’re going to now lock them down more to make sure nobody else copies what these kids did,” Craig said in a phone interview Monday. “Because that’s what they do. When things go wrong, they lock them down.”

And Craig said she’s heard from her clients that lockdowns mean Long Creek residents have no access to services – no social workers, therapists, groups or even access to the gym.

Alec Maybarduk, the executive director of the Maine Service Employees Association, which represents Long Creek’s educational staff and supervisors, said he isn’t sure, but wouldn’t be surprised if they are currently under lockdown.

The facility’s lack of staff often means there are extended lockdowns and a shortage of recreational and educational opportunities, he said.

The local council of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – the union that represents the facility’s security personnel – declined to comment on the escape.

Friday’s breakout is the type of outcome Long Creek employees have been concerned about, Maybarduk said.

“Our members have been ringing the alarm about the need for substantial investment and a long-term strategy to recruit and retain the workforce needed to secure and strengthen the facility and expand programming for residents,” Maybarduk wrote in an email Monday. “Our members have been asking the commissioner and the governor’s office to make a real plan to address the issue.”

Maybarduk referenced a letter the Long Creek staff sent to the Department of Corrections that highlighted safety concerns, the loss of staff, riots in the facility and an increasing lack of programs available to the residents.

“That did lead to some more labor management conversations about how to better utilize the staff they had, and there were some good discussions there, although unfortunately it’s just wildly insufficient,” Maybarduk said in a phone interview.

The facility needs to pay its staff more to keep them around, he said.

“This is the problem all around state government right now, management waits for a crisis to hit before starting to fix the issue,” Maybarduk wrote. “Unfortunately, by the time the crisis hits, it’s often too late.”

Police say not to approach the suspects if you see them, and to call your local police department or 9-1-1 instead.  If you have any information about this case you can reach out to the primary investigator, Det. Jon Stearns at 207-799-5511 Ext. 7212 or Todd at 207-799-5511 Ext. 7448.  Anonymous tips can be left at (207) 347-4100.

Staff Writer Daniel Kool contributed to this report.