DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. — Antoine Robinson Sr. thought he was getting his son the help he needed. Instead, he says his 15-year-old escaped a Goochland psychiatric facility and made it all the way to Virginia Beach.
Dinwiddie Social Services referred Antoine Robinson Jr. to Hallmark Youthcare, an adolescent psychiatric residential treatment center in Goochland, in March, after records show Robinson Jr. got in fights at school, destroyed a neighbor's property and threatened his father.
Robinson Sr. was out of ideas. The single father works full-time driving buses and felt he did not have the time or resources to get his son the help he needed to cope with childhood trauma and mental health issues. Hallmark was also completely free to him — Medicaid and Dinwiddie Social Services covered the cost.
"I was willing to trust these people on the process," Robinson Sr. said.
But Robinson Sr. said almost immediately after his son arrived at Hallmark Youthcare, he started having doubts.
CBS 6 has been investigating Hallmark since September of 2025 and has shared the stories of multiple families who argue the kids at Hallmark are not safe there.
"The first day, there was a fight with him and some peers. They destroyed his shoes, ripped his clothes up, wet his clothes up," Robinson Sr. said.
Robinson Jr. says that was just one of many fights he was involved in during his nearly four-month stay at Hallmark.
"I know it's a lot. I know it's like over 10," Robinson Jr. said.
"What is the staff doing? Why are they not watching these children? How come there's a fight every time? So I'm sure that that should be a staff that is watching that that can intervene before the fight even happens," Robinson Sr. said.
The issues culminated on July 6, when Robinson Jr. escaped the facility with several other residents and made it all the way to Virginia Beach.
"Me and the other resident was arguing with *** because they was arguing with us, so they kept banging on our door. We told them stop banging on our door because everybody was trying to go to sleep, and it was banging. So another kid came out. He grabbed one of the chairs and flipped it to the side, and he just kept hitting the back door with it for like 30 minutes. He just kept at it, and the door just popped up, and we all just ran," Robinson Jr. said.
"No kid should be allowed to escape a place like that. It should be top notch security there," Robinson Sr. said.
After those incidents, a lieutenant with the Goochland Sheriff’s Department told DBHDS in an email that someone may be seriously injured or killed at Hallmark if the current conditions continue there.
Robinson Jr. is now back home with his father. Robinson Sr. is working to prevent his son from having to return to Hallmark and is hoping to find a psychiatrist to wean him off of the seven different medications Robinson Sr. says his son was prescribed while under the care of Hallmark.
"Do you want to go back to Hallmark?" CBS 6 investigative reporter Melissa Hipolit asked Robinson Jr.
"No," he said.
"Why?" Hipolit asked.
"It was unsafe," Robinson Jr. said.
"I just hope my son don't have to return there never again. Cause I don't want him to go through that no more. So I just do what I got to do as his father to keep him out here with me," Robinson Sr. said.
While he works to keep his son home, Robinson Sr. wants the state agency that licenses Hallmark to take action.
"Deep investigation. Somebody needs to look into something to see what was going on, because maybe that program shouldn't even be running right now. Maybe it shouldn't, because anything could have happened to my child while he was out there," Robinson Sr. said.
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services licenses Hallmark and has the ability to sanction them. A spokesperson told CBS 6 their investigation into two incidents where juveniles escaped from Hallmark right after the Fourth of July is still open.
CBS 6 asked Hallmark about Robinson's claims and received the following response:
"We understand the seriousness of the state’s concerns and agree that meaningful change is necessary. Hallmark has already initiated immediate safety, staffing and facility improvements, and we will continue working cooperatively with the Commonwealth on a path forward that protects residents and supports safe, clinically appropriate care.
"Because this process is ongoing and involves confidential resident information, we are limited in what we can discuss publicly.
"Virginia needs safe, accountable in-state treatment options for adolescents with complex emotional, behavioral and mental health needs. We remain committed to working transparently and constructively and being part of the solution."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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