By Jason Emerson
Editor
Two runaway Cazenovia teens — one of whom threatened to commit suicide — were found in good health by police at the Cazenovia Public Library shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The juveniles, ages 17 and 18, had been tracked by state, county and village police throughout the morning as they evaded law enforcement along the Link Trail between Ballina and Ridge roads. They finally fled into the library, where police converged and located them.
The Cazenovia Republican has chosen not to publish the names of the juveniles due to their ages and to the circumstances of the police search for them.
No people were hurt or in danger during the events, and, despite rumors to the contrary, no cars were stolen within the village of Cazenovia, said Cazenovia Police Chief Michael Hayes.
While the case was headed by the state police, troopers on the scene referred questions to the village police chief.
According to Hayes, the juveniles were reported as having run away from home the night before, Wednesday, Nov. 2. One of the two juveniles also had reportedly made threats to his mother that he was contemplating suicide, Hayes said.
“Family members contacted State Police on Wednesday to report them missing since they did not return home and would not disclose their location to family or police,” said state police Public Information Officer Jack Keller.
State police, county sheriffs and village police were out looking for the two teens for hours Thursday morning. Tips and other investigative techniques led police to suspect that the teens were on the Link Trail somewhere between Ballina and Ridge roads. At that point, state police K-9 units were also dispatched to assist with the search.
When the two boys were located inside the library at about 12:40 p.m., there were five state police cars and one county sheriff vehicle parked on Albany Street and in the library front lot.
“When you have a moving perimeter outside it takes a great deal of manpower” to contain the search area, Hayes said.
One of the two teens was brought out of the library in handcuffs and placed in the back of a state police vehicle.
Hayes said the teen who threatened suicide — most likely the one in the handcuffs — will be taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital psychiatric emergency program for evaluation, while the second teen will be returned to the custody of his parents, Hayes said.
Library officials had no comment on the situation.
