Teens Accused Of Attacking Loomis Caregiver Elude Police Twice

LOOMIS (CBS13) — Three teens from a Loomis group home accused of a vicious assault on their caregiver eluded police twice on Thursday.

The truck the teens are accused of stealing was spotted twice by the California Highway Patrol, but both times, they managed to get away.

It started with a 911 call in Loomis on Tuesday morning after three teens brutally attacked a caregiver, severed his finger and left in his truck. Placer County Sheriff's deputies found the victim, a man in his 20s, after the attack.

"Three of the residents of the home had attacked him; he had tried to escape. They were able to stop him, drag him back into the residence and continue the assault," said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Andrew Scott.

The man is recovering from serious injuries that aren't life-threatening but include a severed finger.

The suspects also took some of his items and his truck. That truck was spotted in two Bay Area counties

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department first located the stolen vehicle on Thursday morning and gave chase. That chase, as well as one later in Salinas, was called off because of high speed, erratic driving and a concern for public safety.

Felony arrest warrants are out for these three teens:

• Jeremiah Thyne, Hispanic, standing 5'6" and weighing 120 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes and a tattoo of four dots on his elbow.
• Nathan James Rust, Native American, standing 5'10" and weighing 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
• Julian Cristian Mercado, Hispanic, standing 5'4" and weighing 130 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. He has several tattoos including Chinese writing on his neck, a teardrop tattoo on his face, four dots on his hand, and the name Karrie on his right inner arm.

The Loomis group home is run by Koinonia Family Services, Inc., which says it's a highly supervised but unlocked facility. The treatment center provides help for substance abuse and mental health.

"It's a sad day. We've been doing this for 31 years and this is our first incident of this caliber," said administrator Bill Ryland. "We pride ourselves in helping teens reach a healthy quality of life."