Teens escape from troubled youth facility, lead Ypsilanti state troopers on highway chase
Two teenagers escaped from an Albion facility for troubled youth, stole a car and led state troopers from the Ypsilanti post on a highway chase over the weekend, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reports.
Michigan State Police troopers from the Ypsilanti Post arrested the 16-year-old and 17-year-old boys Sunday morning northeast of Ypsilanti after the two dumped the car in a field, the Jackson Citizen Patriot quoted Sgt. Chris Pascoe as saying. Their names have not been released.
After escaping Saturday from Starr Commonwealth in Albion, the boys made it to the rest stop at I-94 and Sandstone Road, about 16 miles away, said trooper Derrick White of the Michigan State Police Jackson Post. Police believe the boys stole a car from a rest stop employee and drove east on I-94.
Around 6:40 a.m. Sunday, troopers from the Ypsilanti post spotted the car on I-94 near the Michigan Avenue exit southwest of Ypsilanti. They tried to stop the car, but the boys continued driving east.
Eventually, the boys left the highway, drove on county roads and turned into a field near Geddes and Ridge roads and tried to run, Pascoe said. Surrounded by police, the two were arrested.
The 16-year-old, who was driving the car, was taken back to Starr Commonwealth. The 17-year-old was lodged at the Jackson County Jail.
Ypsilanti troopers plan to charge the driver with fleeing and eluding and possession of a stolen vehicle, Pascoe said.
Comments
Mertie
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:42 a.m.
They seem more like little "criminals" than troubled "youths." So sad, really.
lgrey
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 5:39 p.m.
I'm not sure that you all know the realities of residential treatment centers, but they can be very damaging places. Many utilize behavior modification techniques that originated in cults, such as isolating from the parents, not allowing contact until a certain "level" is reached, etc. I can't speak to this particular place, but those are commonplace practices in the industry. Many of these places will not even allow you to report abuses by staff members to the police. I myself was in one for over a year based on depression and anxiety, not law breaking or other "bad" behaviors. It strikes me that based on my experience, people don't run for no reason, so maybe someone should ask them why they did. For all we know there could be illegal activity on the part of the treatment center.
djm12652
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 11:44 a.m.
Troubled Youth? I'd say those two were most likely "touble-making youth"....
Rasputin
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 8:56 a.m.
Do not pass go, do not collect one hundred dollars, go directly to jail.
Ignatz
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 7:46 a.m.
Looks like they were in the right place, though they may not get back there after this silliness.
Ricebrnr
Mon, Aug 2, 2010 : 2:18 a.m.
The quality of their clientele?
microtini
Sun, Aug 1, 2010 : 11:14 p.m.
What exactly has been troubling the youth facility?
microtini
Sun, Aug 1, 2010 : 11:13 p.m.
What exactly has been troubling the youth facility?