Amid youth crime surge, Wake County DA says juvenile justice system 'needs to catch up'

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Teen crime is a topic discussed extensively over the past year.

Recently, a 17-year-old murder suspect escaped from a detention center in Butner. He is facing charges in the death of a 71-year-old man.

Back in March, ABC11's Sean Coffey sat down with Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman who called the recent surge in youth crime unlike anything she has seen before.

Freeman said that the severity of those crimes is getting worse, and the juvenile justice system needs to catch up.

"The laws in this state, the way they apply, the way we can use them to keep our community safe," Freeman told ABC11 in March, "are not sufficient when it comes to this level of violence from juveniles."

In June, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed HB 834, which is legislation that would automatically transfer certain juvenile cases to adult court.

WATCH | Juvenile crime reform debate heats up as veto override looms

Criminal justice reform advocates in North Carolina are speaking up as GOP looks to override Gov. Roy Cooper veto of HB 834.

Under the bill, which could still face a veto override, 16- and 17-year-old suspects charged with the most serious offenses would automatically be sent to Superior Court, or adult court, instead of passing through the juvenile system. The bill allows prosecutors to move juveniles back down to juvenile court, when appropriate.

HB 834 was passed with bipartisan support. The timeline on when the matter may be taken back up in the Legislature is not clear.

The debate over HB 834 takes place as Wake County increases its investment in juvenile crime prevention.

The troubling trend, according to many anti-violence advocates, is closely linked to the ongoing youth mental health crisis.