One of two teens who left mountain youth camp arrested

One of two 17-year-old boys who ran away Thursday from the Spring Mountain Youth Camp on Mount Charleston has been apprehended in the northwest Las Vegas Valley.

But the whereabouts of the other boy is still in question, according to a Clark County officials who operate the camp.

There were few details on the arrest, which occurred late Friday afternoon.

“They ran away from our facility. They got a head start on staff, then outran them down in a canyon in lots of snow and were able to escape,” said Erik Pappa, a county spokesman. “We’d been in search mode on the mountain all day Thursday then resumed the search this morning.”

A police helicopter was dispatched early Friday morning after fog and low visibility prevented them from searching by air Thursday, Pappa said.

Pappa did not know what kinds of offenses the juveniles committed, but did note that “their crimes were not so serious that they were a threat to the community.”

Earlier Friday morning, police officers, in conjunction with the county’s parole and probation team, were worried that the teenagers may have been in trouble from bad weather on Mount Charleston, where temperatures are well below freezing and there’s a good deal of snow, said Las Vegas police spokesman officer Bill Cassell.

The camp is located near Angel’s Peak in the Spring Mountains, which is roughly 8,470 feet in elevation.

The Spring Mountain Youth Camp houses boys ages 12-18 who have been “adjudicated for delinquent acts” by a juvenile court.