Two teens charged after staffers injured at Commonwealth Center in Staunton
Brad Zinn
STAUNTON — The Staunton Police Department said two teens have been charged after a disturbance last week at the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents on Richmond Avenue.
Both teens, a 17-year-old boy from Ruther Glen and a 15-year-old North Chesterfield girl, are being held at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center.
Five staff members were reportedly injured.
During the evening of Dec. 8, police said the boy and girl broke an iPad and used glass from the device to reportedly self-harm.
When staff members tried to intervene, the teens allegedly began biting, kicking and punching staff, a police report said, and authorities responded to the mental health facility, which is run by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
The 17-year-old boy is facing eight juvenile petitions, four for malicious wounding, three for assault and battery, and one for attempted malicious wounding, according to police.
Two petitions — one for attempted malicious wounding and the other for assault and battery — were obtained against the 15-year-old girl.
Last week following the incident, DBHDS commissioner Alison Land said the injuries to the five adult staff member were "moderate to severe" and said they were treated in the center's emergency department, according to a memo sent to The News Leader.
The center has 18 beds but reduced that to 13 last week following three confirmed cases of COVID among staff, resulting in short-term changes, and it was reported the center will operate on a one-to-one formula on admissions. That means for every one patient discharged, one patient will be admitted.
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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.