14-year-old escapes Alabama boot camp, leads lawmen on chase in stolen car, sheriff says

A 14-year-old escaped a juvenile facility and lead authorities on a chase before being captured several miles later. (Walker County Sheriff's Office)
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A 14-year-old is back in custody after authorities say he escaped a juvenile facility, stole a vehicle and led lawmen on a chase.

Walker County sheriff’s Capt. Ralph Williams was working drug complaints in the Oakman area when he spotted a stolen vehicle traveling on Highway 18 Wednesday night.

Investigators learned that the 14-year-old had made a break from the George J. Mitnick Juvenile Camp in Jasper. The private facility is a bootcamp wilderness program for boys ages 12 to 17 with delinquent offenses.

The program is designed to keep them from serving time in the Alabama Department of Youth Services.

Williams pursued the teen for several miles, with the chase ending up in Fayette County. It was there that authorities deployed spike strips, successfully flattening all four of the vehicle’s tires.

The teen was taken into custody without further incident. Because of his age and placement in the private facility, no additional information about him could be released.

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