ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Nine teenagers were missing Friday from a southern New Mexico ranch for troubled youths after authorities at the ranch were accused of beating and shackling students.
State police spokesman Emmanuel Gutierrez said the officers went to Tierra Blanca High Country Youth Program in Sierra County after ranch officials were ordered to send the kids back to their parents or surrender them to the state.
"No one was there," Gutierrez said. "So, right now, we are actively searching. We have aircraft, we have other law enforcement agencies to assist. ... We have a lot of manpower."
Authorities said they believed the ranch operators and kids were hiding somewhere on the 30,000-acre ranch.
Last week, the Albuquerque Journal reported that state authorities were investigating claims that teenage boys were beaten and forced to wear leg shackles and handcuffs for minor violations of ranch rules.
The operators of the ranch, Scott and Collette Chandler, deny any children have been harmed. And they filed a lawsuit earlier this week accusing investigators of targeting the ranch for closure following a fatal car crash involving students. They also claimed investigators have been illegally interviewing students and telling parents to pull their children from the program by Friday or face abuse charges. It also says at least one family was contacted directly by Gov. Susana Martinez, a claim her office denies.
A spokesman for the state Children, Youth and Families Department said the ranch had 12 students but two went home after the investigation began and one turned 18.
"We've got orders to take custody of nine," spokesman Henry Varela said. "We are looking feverishly right now."
The Chandlers had sought an emergency court hearing to halt the investigation.
They also traveled to Albuquerque on Thursday with two graduates of their program for a news conference.
"I've never seen anyone beaten," said Kevin Finch, now a freshman at Western New Mexico University. "The accusations are downright lies."
Another graduate, Jon Cowen, said the program "turned my life around 180 degrees."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/state-police-search-teens-youth-ranch-222227018.html
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