Thirty-two teens escaped from a youth detention center by crawling through a weak spot in a fence and more than half of them were still on the run today, a spokesman said.
The teens ages 14 to 19 went out into a yard at the Nashville center all at once, shortly after a shift change yesterday, Tennessee Department of Children's Services spokesman Rob Johnson said.
They escaped through the fence surrounding the yard about 11 pm, Johnson said, but it wasn't clear whether that was spontaneous or a planned move.
Two teens were captured immediately and 13 others were found overnight, Johnson said. Local police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol were searching for the 17 others.
The state-owned center held 78 teens at the time of the escape, and most had committed at least three felonies, Johnson said. The center has a school, offers vocational training and career counseling, and works to move teens to less restrictive settings, according to a state website.
The Woodland Hills Youth Development Center was calm and back under control today morning, Johnson said.
Police cars were on the scene, but there was little activity at the center or its neighbors a women's prison, several offices for trucking companies and other businesses.
On the western edge of the facility, the spot where the teens escaped, the closest neighbors are a frozen pizza plant and a liquor distributor.
