Seven child patients escaped from a North Carolina psychiatric hospital Sunday night, triggering a nearly three-hour manhunt with police dogs and drones.
The escape occurred during a “disturbance” at Holly Hill Hospital’s South Campus around 8:05 p.m., according to Raleigh police, WNCN reported. The facility sits near WakeMed Hospital off Sunnybrook Road and treats psychiatric and addiction disorders.
“Upon arrival, officers learned that seven juveniles escaped the facility on foot,” police said in a statement.
Law enforcement launched a massive search operation across east Raleigh. K-9 units tracked the children through neighborhoods while drones scanned from above. The Raleigh Police Department called in backup from Wake County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol and State Capitol Police. (RELATED: Police Launch Frantic Search For Texas Man ‘Mistakenly’ Released From Jail)
BREAKING NEWS — 7 children captured after escape during ‘disturbance’ at Raleigh psychiatric hospital, police say
FULL STORY: https://t.co/jK1C3abCgt pic.twitter.com/GQQae134Lp— CBS 17 (@WNCN) September 22, 2025
Officers captured all seven escapees by 10:50 p.m. Police said the children posed no danger to the community and carried no weapons.
Sunday’s breakout wasn’t the first major incident at the facility, the outlet reported. In December 2024, more than 20 girls got into a violent brawl that sent six patients to WakeMed with injuries. Police said the girls punched, kicked and threw chairs at each other during that fight.
Holly Hill Hospital operates as both an inpatient and outpatient treatment center. The facility has not responded to questions about security measures or how the children managed to escape, according to the outlet.
Police haven’t released the ages of the escapees or details about what caused the initial disturbance. They also haven’t said whether the hospital will face any penalties or required security upgrades after two significant incidents in recent months.
The investigation continues as authorities review how seven patients simultaneously fled a secured psychiatric facility, the outlet reported.