ALLEGHENY TWP - Several staff members were hospitalized Wednesday evening with injuries suffered when they tried to quell rioting teens inside a northern Butler County juvenile detention facility, authorities said.

The melee began about 5:15 p.m. in the cafeteria area at the Western PA Child Care on Route 38 in Allegheny Township,state police said.

A group of youths started to “riot,” according to a police news release, and staffers at the center moved in to break up the melee. Police said the employees were hurt while attempting to restore order.

Authorities did not identify the injured staff members or did not immediately say how many were treated at Clarion .

Police said they plan to file “several cases” of felony assault in connection with the free-for-all.

A man,who did not give his name answered a telephone call at the facility early this morning but he referred all questions to the director.

When asked for director's name, the man hung up the phone.

An e-mail to the facility's parent company, Mid-Atlantic Youth Services, Corp., was not immediately returned this morning.