STARK COUNTY, Ohio — A woman says her teenage son started the barricade at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility last weekend.
"The last time he called back, he said, 'Mom they're still out there, this is crazy, but I'm sorry,'” said his mom Heidi.
Twelve teens barricaded themselves in a school building on the campus Saturday. The standoff lasted nearly 12 hours.
Heidi told News 5 Investigator Tara Morgan she wants to understand why her son wanted to be a part of it.
We are not identifying him because he’s 16.
She says he called her three times from a phone in the room where they were holed up and he is now in the Stark County jail.
New video from inside Indian River shows the teens tossing things around. Independent journalist Jordan Miller shared the video with News 5.
Heidi says she picked out her son in the blurred images.
"To see my son doing that just breaks my heart,” said Heidi.
It was just after 1 p.m. last Saturday when Heidi says she got a call from Indian River and thought it was a case manager.
But instead, it was her 16-year-old son.
"He was like I took some keys, and I unlocked a bunch of people out and we're ransacking stuff and we're destroying stuff. And we're not letting them in,” said Heidi.
The Department of Youth Services says a teen took keys from a staff member, unlocked other rooms and escaped into a school building.
"I really believe a lot of it is gang-related. I really do. I honestly don't think they're getting mistreated there, but I don't know,” Heidi said.
One correctional officer, who requested we not show his face and alter his voice in fear of losing his job, blames some of the problems on being shorthanded and mandated 16-hour days.
But he also made reference to gang activity and said there are a dozen kids who have turned the place upside down.
"These kids have just incrementally done more and more and more, and we just let them do it. Does someone have to die for somebody to do something?” he said.
About a year ago, he says the administrators gave the teens in the building tablets to use.
"The staff were like, 'This is a bad idea, this is a security issue,'" the officer said.
The officer says the tablets were used to plan the escape.
Heidi says her son could call her from Indian River on his tablet.
She asked him whether they plotted anything last weekend and he said no.
Heidi says her son was previously in juvenile detention in Bowling Green before a judge sent him to Indian River.
"For breaking into a house and destroying it, and he took the blame,” said Heidi.
But her son got into more trouble and had six more months tacked on.
"I don't know what's going to happen,” Heidi said.
She says while her son was getting into trouble there, at times, he was doing well at Indian River, and believes he was trying to fit in.
"I really think people got in my son's head to tell him things,” Heidi said.
Heidi says she tried to talk her son into surrendering and apologized to the officers and their families for what they’ve gone through.
"I'm really sorry my son was a part of it, and it had to happen this way. I wish I could have changed his mind,” said Heidi.
At least one correctional officer is among three staff members at Indian River who have been attacked in the last week.
The officer’s daughter says her dad is still in the hospital and his recovery will be a long road.
Ohio State Highway Patrol says the investigation is ongoing. Six of the teens are in the Stark County jail and the other six are at Indian River.
No charges have been filed at this time.
News 5 did reach out to the Department of Youth Services about the claims about gangs and the tablets but has not heard back.
We are told there isn’t an estimate yet on the damage.
RELATED:
Ohio State Highway Patrol: 'Contained barricade incident' at Indian River Correctional Facility over
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