11 students taken into custody

Eleven students from Adriel School here were taken into custody in less than 24 hours this week.

Eight of the 11 ran away from the school, and three were taken into custody for fights with staff members and for being disruptive.

The Adriel School serves at-risk youths in a residential program near the Champaign-Logan county line.

The school accounts for 60 percent of the call volume for the West Liberty Police Department, according to Chief Shane Oelker.

Oelker explained many of the students who leave do not intend to commit a crime, but the department takes the cases seriously for the student’s safety.

However, one mother who lives near the school said these escapes from the campus make her fear for her children.

“When I grew up we could play outside all day long and not have to have our parents monitor what we were doing. My kids are not able to do that,” said Wendy LeVan.

The trouble started around midnight Tuesday when a 17-year-old boy ran away, according to Oelker.

A girl ran away from the school around 4 a.m. and joined up with the boy, Oelker said.

The two were found by a Champaign County deputy in Urbana after the two were suspected for a theft at a Speedway in the area.

The 17-year-old boy allegedly resisted arrest and assaulted the deputy.

He was taken to Mercy Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries and then later transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Marysville.

The 15-year-old girl was taken to Logan County’s Juvenile Detention Center.

Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. the West Liberty Police Department was called to the school again, this time for a fight between a student and a worker.

The 15-year-old student was subdued and was charged with assault.

During that altercation two other students were taken into custody for disorderly conduct.

Another student ran away and was later found on Wednesday.

In a separate incident on Tuesday night at 11 p.m., five girls — all 15 years old or younger — attempted to run away.

One girl did not get off the campus of the school and told officers the other girls’ plan.

The girls intended to walk to train tracks and catch a train to Cincinnati.

Officers found two girls on their way to the tracks and found the two other girls on a train car.

Those four were taken to the Logan County JDC.

The CEO for Adriel School declined to comment.

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