Governor: 39 minors missing from system remains a high figure
By THE STAR STAFF
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón acknowledged on Monday that the 39 minors who remain missing from homes or institutions under state custody represent a high figure, following the recent slaying of a youth who had left one of those facilities.
“One minor -- not 39, but a single minor losing their life -- is too many,” González Colón stated at a press conference.
The governor noted that in 2024 there were 89 minors missing from the system and maintained that the reduction to 39 does not eliminate the concern.
“The fact that the number is now 39 -- in my judgment, it remains high,” she said.
González Colón noted that the minors are not held in penal institutions and that many are in foster homes or private entities receiving state funds.
“They remain under state custody,” she emphasized.
The governor said there are currently 2,175 minors in state custody and estimated that the 39 missing minors represent about 1.79% of that population.
Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes said meanwhile that when a minor runs away, a protocol is activated involving the Puerto Rico Police, Interpol, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the FBI.
“We do not rest until we locate those children and youths and address their current circumstances,” Roig Fuertes said.
The secretary acknowledged that they have not yet been able to locate some of the 39 minors, despite the involvement of agencies specializing in missing persons cases.
Regarding the adolescent who was slain after running away from the Manuel Fernández Juncos home, Roig Fuertes said the facility reported the situation and that protocols were activated within the appropriate timeframe.
“In this case, indeed, all protocols were initiated on time, and we have been working with these protocols ever since,” she stated. González Colón said the state must evaluate, on a case-by-case basis, whether the minor received the necessary tools, whether there were behavioral changes or patterns that went unidentified, and whether the minor remained connected to school and other services.
The governor added that each minor’s circumstances are different and that the government cannot treat the homes like correctional institutions or physically restrain youths to prevent them from leaving the facilities.
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