Nelsonville ' Two male juveniles are suspected of hijacking a train from the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway and riding it for 12 miles early yesterday before they were apprehended, according to Nelsonville Police.
The 13-year-old and 16-year-old had escaped from Hocking Valley Community Residential Center, a rehabilitation center for children with previous problems with the law, Sgt. Dwane Covert said.
The teenagers allegedly rode the train until they reached a patch of seemingly inoperable track near the Logan Square Shopping Center in Logan, where they were apprehended, he said.
Nelsonville officers had observed the train traveling westbound near state Route 278 and, knowing the train would normally not be in operation, explored the train yard to find that someone had broken into a storage building, according to a police report.
Police said they had no estimation of the speed at which the train was traveling.
The juveniles, one of whom appeared to be familiar with how to operate a train, were released to the Athens County Sheriff's Office for possible court hearings, according to Nelsonville Police.
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Jessie Balmert
