A manhunt is underway in Tennessee after 32 teenagers escaped from a Nashville youth detention center.
The Woodland Hills Youth Development Center had just gone through a Monday night shift change when the teens crawled under a fence surrounding the yard and fled, Rob Johnson, spokesman for the state Department of Children's Services, told the Los Angeles Times. Some were found during a search that night but as of Tuesday morning 10 remain at large.
"Apparently they were able to find a weak spot at the bottom of the fence and they were able to go underneath it," Johnson said.
Officials do not know if the teens, ranging from ages 14 to 19, planned the escape or if it was a random incident. They were all in the yard together at around 11 p.m., about thirty minutes after a shift change. Woodland Hills has less people on duty overnight, according to The Tennessean.
Local police officers, Tennessee Highway Patrol and DCS officials are "urging anyone who might see any of these kids to call law enforcement to apprehend them," Johnson told the LA Times.
A total of 78 teenagers were being held at the facility at the time of the breakout. The escapees were brought to the Nashville center from other states.
"Most of the kids have at least three felonies," Johnson told The Tennessean.
Monday's breakout comes four months after at least six teenagers broke out of their rooms to the courtyard. Staff and caseworkers were able to convince the teens to come back, according to The Tennessean.
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