Ecuador police search for three escaped minors from state home

Ecuadorian police are actively searching for three children, aged 10 to 12, who escaped from a government-run children's home in Quito. This comes after five other minors who had also fled the facility were found on Sunday.

The eight children, seven boys and one girl, were reported missing by the Prosecutor's Office on Saturday night. While initial reports did not detail the circumstances of their disappearance, the Ministry of the Interior stated that the children "took advantage of the staff carrying out pre-breakfast activities to leave the establishment." The children were reportedly at the Casa Hogar María Campi de Yoder as a protective measure due to experiencing violence or lacking family support.

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took advantage of the staff carrying out pre-breakfast activities to leave the establishment

Authorities have activated protocols for missing persons, reviewed security camera footage, and disseminated search posters on community networks. Police have also checked local health centers and deployed operational teams throughout the city. The three currently missing are identified as Darianyelis Valeria Rosales (12 years old), Maykel Paul Curay Vaca (12 years old), and Luis Eduardo Torres Ojito (10 years old).

The Ministry of Human Development, responsible for the center's administration, confirmed that the children were placed there as part of a "protection measure" and were not being held against their will. Information regarding the conditions or locations where the five found children were discovered has not been released.

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protection measure