17-year-old remains at large since escape
A 17-year-old boy remains at large days after state police say he and two other students escaped from the Summit Academy reform school in Summit Township and later drove away in a stolen van.
While the Latrobe, Westmoreland County, teen is still missing, the other alleged escapees are accounted for, including one who is in the Butler County Prison.
Tyler M. Stewart, 18, of Carnegie, Allegheny County, remains behind bars on $100,000 bond. He was captured Sunday by his hometown police.
Authorities suspect Stewart, the Latrobe teen and a 16-year-old boy from New Stanton, Westmoreland County, left Summit Academy sometime Friday night. Police were notified shortly before 10 p.m. and joined school staff in searching for the trio.
The 16-year-old returned to the school Saturday, accompanied by his grandmother, who is also his guardian.
Cpl. Tim Morando said Monday the teen told investigators he and the others stole a cargo utility van in the area of Knox Chapel in Winfield Township.
Later, according to the teen's account, Stewart drove the van to Greenville, Mercer County, where he dropped off the youngest of the escapees. Stewart next allegedly drove to Carnegie.
Morando said troopers notified Carnegie police, who arrested Stewart. The 17-year-old's whereabouts was not known, nor has the van been recovered.
Also as of Monday morning, police still did not have a stolen vehicle report for the van, but Morando said that could be because the owner may not have immediately discovered it missing.
On Sunday, District Judge Kevin O'Donnell arraigned Stewart on felony charges of theft, receiving stolen property and escape. Police said the teen had been placed at Summit Academy on Dec. 20 by a court order out of Allegheny County.
Charges have apparently not been filed yet against the other teens. The younger boy also was court committed at the school, authorities said. And the 17-year-old boy was placed there as a dependant child.
Dick Roberts, spokesman for Summit Academy, said he had no other information about the incident.
