Update: According to Marlboro County Sheriff Fred Knight the two teenagers have been captured.
Two boys ages 16 and 17 escaped from AMI Kids, formerly known as Camp Bennettsville, in Marlboro County on Marlboro Road Thursday morning.
The facility houses troubled teenage boys for the SC Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).
The sheriff says the 17-year-old, Javen Glen Styles, from Greenville and another juvenile offender were arrested Thursday afternoon.
Through leads from the public and sightings of the two, the sheriff's office was able to determine the teenagers were still in the area of Willamette Road and Brickyard Road. The MCSO then did a reverse 9-1-1 call to the residents in the area that lead to several good tips and information.
In the afternoon, the MCSO tracking team was relieved by the SLED tracking team and then the Chesterfield County tracking team came to assist. SLED also provided a helicopter during the manhunt and additional agents to assist with perimeter.
Around 6 pm, the teenagers were captured near Community Road in a wooded area.
They were turned over to DJJ authorities to face new charges.
The MCSO was also assisted by SC Dept of Natural Resources officers and additional Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office deputies.
The camp's Executive Director, Jerome Platt, says the boys jumped out of their beds and ran out of their dormitory just after midnight.
Two staff members were on post at the dorm, but Platt says they couldn't stop the boys.
The Marlboro County Sheriff's Office and investigators with the SC Department of Juvenile Justice searched the area throughout the night.
Sheriff Knight said, "I would like to commend the citizens of the community for all of the cooperation and tips and specifically Mr. Sam Jackson. Mr. Jackson called 911 at a crucial time and gave very valuable information that was accurate. The MCSO is grateful for citizens that are concerned about public safety and want to help Law Enforcement in these situations. I would also like to thank and commend all of the departments and officers whose teamwork is the reason this ended the way it did. "
