Teenage escapees arrested after three days on the run

After almost three days on the lam, the two teenage escapees from a juvenile detention center were arrested early Friday evening around 30 miles southeast from where they escaped .

Jesus M. Loera, 18, and Joshua Hernandez, 16, were picked up in Vado, New Mexico, around 5 p.m. Thursday as they hid in a bedroom closet, according to the N.M. Department of Public Safety.

Investigators are also questioning three girls in connection with the escape.

The two are accused of tying up a female detention officer at the J. Paul Taylor center around midnight on Tuesday, taking her keys and then scaling a fence to make their escape.

Loera had been arrested in a February burglary case and was slated for release from the center in March 2013, State Police spokesman Sgt. Tim Johnson said on Wednesday.

Hernandez was arrested in February 2010 in a motor vehicle theft case and again in October for violating terms of his probation, according to records obtained by the Journal. He would have been released from the detention center Oct. 14, Johnson said.