State Police issue Amber Alert for missing teens

By Mike Gallagher / Journal Investigative Reporter

State Police have issued an Amber Alert for the nine teens, saying that they might be in danger “due to the circumstances involving this abduction.”

Police also said the teens are with Scott Chandler, and they released his photo. They asked that anyone with information as to the teens’ whereabouts call State Police at (575)835-0741.

The teens are named as Charlie Lamb, 13, Ryan Sibbett, 16, Bryce Hall, 17, Mayson Myers, 13, Peter Adams, 16, Michael Rozell, 15, Oscar Ruiz, 17, David Easter, 17, and Evan Kogler ,16.

The attorney for the Tierra Blanca Ranch High Country Youth Program, Pete Domenici Jr. issued a new release on Friday saying the boys in the program were on a “previously scheduled activity away from the ranch for several days” and would be turned over to their parents.

Domenici said the parents would then contact State Police Deputy Chief David Martinez to confirm the safety of their sons.

State Police attempting to execute a court order to take custody of teens at a Sierra County ranch program have been unable to locate the clients and were planning to issue an Amber Alert, Gov. Susana Martinez said this afternoon.

The Tierra Blanca Ranch High Country Youth Program and owner Scott Chandler filed a lawsuit this week against the state Children, Youth and Families Department asking District Judge Edmund H. Kase III to halt a state investigation into the program. The agency is investigating allegations that some children were shackled by staff members, beaten by other clients and fed starvation rations.

According to the ranch’s lawsuit, State Police and CYFD investigators interviewed students at the ranch last week, over Chandler’s objections that he was not allowed to be present during the interviews.

Some of the State Police reports date back to 2006, but the most recent State Police investigation began after a single-vehicle traffic accident that killed a former student on the ranch in late September.

Martinez said this afternoon that State Police believe the children may be hidden in a remote area on the 30,000 acre ranch. She said police believe there are nine clients at the ranch.

The program at the ranch near Hillsboro caters to parents who can no longer deal with their children’s drug use or other behavior problems. The Journal first wrote about allegations at the ranch earlier this month.