Teen caught after escaping Wilder Youth Development Center, search ongoing for two more

Lucas Finton, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read
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One of three teens who escaped from Wilder Youth Development Center Saturday evening was caught Tuesday afternoon, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services said.

The teen, whose name was not disclosed, was found in Nashville, and the search for the other two is ongoing, Alex Denis, DCS director of communications, said in an email statement.

"While state law prohibits DCS from releasing specific information about juveniles in custody, we can assure DCS is working closely with law enforcement partners at this time," the email read.

The three teens, all 17 years old, were discovered to have escaped by DCS staff Saturday evening. Wilder Youth Development Center is located in Somerville, a town in Fayette County.

DCS said it notified local law enforcement about the escape, saying it plans to "continue to work closely with law enforcement officials until [the teens] are apprehended."

A view of the sign outside the the John S. Wilder Youth Development Center off Highway 59 in Somerville, Tennessee.
A view of the sign outside the the John S. Wilder Youth Development Center off Highway 59 in Somerville, Tennessee.

Fayette County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Ray Garcia said a resident called the department's office at 9:35 p.m. Saturday saying three males ran through their yard.

Garcia said the sheriff's office called Wilder Youth Development Center to ask if any children were missing, and were told DCS staff were not aware of anyone missing.

After a headcount was conducted, staff called the sheriff's office to tell them three teens were missing around 10:10 p.m..

"While searching the area, deputies were flagged down at 12:17 a.m. in the 500 block of Old Jackson Road by a resident stating his Jeep Grand Cherokee had been stolen," Garcia said. "At 11:03 p.m. a (license plate recognition) camera showed the stolen vehicle westbound on Highway 64 in Shelby County."

More:3 escaped teens from Wilder Youth Development Center spotted as police continues search

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office was informed of the runaways and placed deputies on alert, and asked for residents to contact law enforcement if they spotted the teens.

Somerville police said the escaped teens were wearing gray jogging pants and gray shirts.

The Wilder youth center has a history of teens escaping from the facility, investigations into abuse and poor operating conditions.

Police are asking for residents to call 911 or 901-465-3456 if the teens are spotted.

Dima Amro contributed to this report.

Lucas Finton is a news reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: One of three escaped teens caught in Nashville, DCS says