Double murderer escapes from Bernalillo County juvenile jail

May 25—A young man who recently pleaded guilty to murdering two women escaped the Bernalillo County juvenile jail Saturday afternoon.

Deputies say Josef Toney, 19, was last seen by staff at the Youth Services Center around 1:20 p.m. before video surveillance caught him opening a gate and running east.

A man who lives in the area told deputies he saw Toney running east from Second NW, just north of Griegos, according to a criminal complaint charging Toney with escape from jail.

Court records show Toney pleaded guilty last month to two counts of first-degree murder and armed robbery in a 2021 shooting that left Aerial Mallam, 21, and Jessica Lucero, 31, dead and a man injured.

Toney was set to be sentenced on June 26. The plea agreement stated that Toney faced up to 51 years in prison.

Jayme Fuller, a Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman, urged neighbors in the area where Toney was last seen and others in the community to "remain vigilant and report any sightings or information related to Josef Toney's whereabouts."

"Please do not approach him as he is considered dangerous," Fuller said in a release. "Anyone with information is encouraged to contact 911 immediately."

BCSO wasn't notified of Toney's escape until 6 p.m., several hours after he was last seen, according to court records. It is unclear what led to the delay.

The complaint states Toney was last seen on video surveillance around 1:20 p.m. and was standing between the courthouse and a fence on the south side of the detention center.

"It appears there is another inmate on the lookout and (Toney) takes an item out of his pocket to open the gate," according to the complaint.

The complaint states a neighbor in the 5000 block of Second saw a man matching Toney's description "in his yard running eastbound."

"This address is just south of the detention center," according to the complaint.

Fuller said BCSO is "working closely with other law enforcement agencies to apprehend the escapee as quickly as possible." She said Toney has connections to Colorado, where he was arrested in the murder case after fleeing Albuquerque.

The incident comes six months after a dozen juveniles caused a disturbance at the center and took over a unit, leaving minor injuries and property damage.

Since then, BCSO Sheriff John Allen has questioned if the juvenile jail was secure and, more recently, District Attorney Sam Bregman joined Allen in criticizing the facility when a high schooler wasn't booked after being found with a gun.