15-year-old runaway located

     After a two day serach, APSO has reported that Alexis Parker, 15-year-old juvenile runaway, was located by a family member on Feb. 8, unharmed.

     Parker had run away on the evening of Feb. 5, some time after the school day ended. She has been charged with FINS (Families in Need of Services).

     The FINS program works with youth and their families. Many of the grounds for filing a FINS petition involve conduct that would not be a crime if committed by an adult, but when committed by a youth is grounds for a FINS adjudication. Some examples are truancy (not attending school), being ungovernable (not obeying parents or repeatedly breaking school rules), runaway behavior (being absent from home without parental permission), violation of law by a child under age 10.  An offense such as theft or shoplifting is not a FINS offense – it is a delinquent offense.

     Any youth under the age of 17 may be petitioned to court based on a FINS charge or commission of a delinquent act. Each case is handled in accordance with juvenile law and procedures. The court may be called a juvenile court, family court, city court, or district court, depending on the parish where the offense occurred.