Author Topic: Escape from Horizon Academy. The student nearly died (Read 4876 times)

Oscar · « **on:** September 13, 2009, 10:52:21 AM »

19-year-old man found safe in Southern Nevada desert, Las Vegas sun

There is a reason that they have placed the "school" in the desert.

Anonymous · « **Reply #1 on:** September 13, 2009, 11:38:03 AM »

This man seems to be as retarded as he looks in that picture. He was over 18 and could of got a ride to town at the very least if he had told them he wanted to leave instead of just walking away. Why wasn't he captured and brought back? Because he was over 18. Anybody in a program passed the age of 18 chooses to be there, unless they are court ordered, which is rare.

Ursus · « **Reply #2 on:** September 13, 2009, 11:58:38 AM »

Quote from: "Guest"

This man seems to be as retarded as he looks in that picture. He was over 18 and could of got a ride to town at the very least if he had told them he wanted to leave instead of just walking away. Why wasn't he captured and brought back? Because he was over 18. Anybody in a program passed the age of 18 chooses to be there, unless they are court ordered, which is rare.

He may or may not have other difficulties which were not mentioned in the news article. There is no reason a news article needs to go into a person's entire medical history for the benefit of the readers. On the other hand, that information may have been withheld from the media by the family and/or Horizon Academy for a myriad of other reasons. At any rate, all that is pure speculation at this point.

As to his age? There are carrots aplenty that can be held out to convince a person that they need to continue in a program past the age of 18. One of those, amongst the many, could be the need for graduating from high school. There are also potential consequences that can be proffered, entirely separate from the circumstances of a court order, in order to convince a person that they need to stay in a program. To characterize all those as strictly a matter of "personal choice" is a tad shortsighted, not to mention more than a little misleading.

Oscar · « **Reply #3 on:** September 13, 2009, 12:02:21 PM »

I would not call him retarded. Yes, he is suffering from an illness that enables him to make desicions before thinking twice, but he is not alone. They should have calmed him down by calling his parents to the school at once, so they could take it from there.

As for him being 18. I don't know with Nevada but in Idaho the importance of jobs in the teenager confinement business has meant that extended custody to the age of 21 is only a rubberstamp away if the program owners clears the size of the wallet the family comes with.

Ursus · « **Reply #4 on:** September 13, 2009, 12:07:39 PM »

A news piece from when Diego Arteaga went missing:

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Las Vegas SUN
19-year-old man missing in Southern Nevada desert

By Mary Manning
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 | 4:29 p.m.

Diego Arteaga

Diego Arteaga had been attending a camp in the Amargosa Valley desert for about a year when he decided to walk away on Monday.

Arteaga, 19, son of Dr. Albert Arteaga and Maria Arteaga, of San Bernardino, Calif., has not been seen since he started walking to Pahrump in Nye County -- a distance of roughly 60 miles.

Camp counselors tried to stop the young man, who suffers from attention deficit disorder (ADD) and can be impulsive, Albert Arteaga said on Thursday. He left the camp wearing a white dress shirt and khaki shorts, his father said.

He carried no identification, cell phone, money or water.

"We are extremely worried," Albert Arteaga said Thursday afternoon. "I'm worried not only for my son, but for my wife, who is taking this extremely hard."

His mother believes Diego may be heading to Redlands, Calif., where he has friends and family.

"Diego, we love you very much," his mother said in a statement. "You are not in trouble. Do not be afraid. We want you to come home. We miss you and are afraid for your safety. We are looking for you. Please call home or the nearest police or sheriff."

His parents filed a missing person's report with the Nye County Sheriff's Office and his description and photo went out across the region.

One caller reported seeing someone walking in the desert south of Amargosa Valley on Monday and another report put him inside a Pahrump casino, but neither report panned out, said family friend Carl Dameron.

"Even though he is 19 years old, his parents are frantic," Dameron said this afternoon.

Albert Arteaga said he is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the safe whereabouts of his son.

Anyone who sees Diego Arteaga is asked to call Deputy Ray Robert with the Nye County Sheriff's Office at (775) 372-5345, or in California, the San Bernardino County Sheriff at 911 or a local law enforcement agency.

© Las Vegas Sun, 2009

Ursus · « **Reply #5 on:** September 13, 2009, 12:13:37 PM »

The article that Oscar posted a link to in the OP:

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Las Vegas SUN
19-year-old man found safe in Southern Nevada desert

By Mary Manning
Friday, Aug. 14, 2009 | 11:21 a.m.

Nye County Sheriff's Office deputies reunited 19-year-old Diego Arteaga with his parents about 10:45 p.m. Thursday at a McDonald's restaurant in Pahrump.

Diego's parents, Dr. Albert and Maria Arteaga, had filed a missing person's report after their son left a camp on foot Monday in Armagosa Valley about 60 miles north of Pahrump.

"We are so grateful for the many people who called in tips to us and to the wonderful people of Pahrump who listened to our story and helped us find our lost son," the father said.

Diego Arteaga has attention deficit disorder (ADD), Albert Arteaga said. His son had been staying at a camp in the Amargosa Desert for about a year, when he walked away Monday without food, water, identification or a cell phone.

© Las Vegas Sun, 2009

Antigen · « **Reply #6 on:** September 13, 2009, 02:50:59 PM »

Quote

His son had been staying at a camp in the Amargosa Desert for about a year, when he walked away Monday without food, water, identification or a cell phone.

Why didn't he get a ride? The locals around most of these places will bring back an escapee, sometimes for a reward. Either that or they're frightened of them. When I split my gulag I didn't know that the local cops were in the middle of investigating. Normally, over the prior 15 years or so of my family's affiliation with this organization, the cops would routinely return an escapee regardless of how one may plead for help or what abuse they may describe. I myself was almost returned to the program in Florida by the cops and courts in Georgia and Florida. The only thing that saved me was that HRS (Florida's CYS at the time) was investigating, I found out about it and I flatly refused to get off the plane at the airport till the caseworker arrived (an hour late, the ditsy bitch!)

Even if a kid does manage to get the attention of investigating and/or regulating agencies, the people who run these programs have extremely powerful political ties. Check out Wes Fager's report on the Clary Report on Straight, Inc. here http://drugfreeamericafoundation.blogsp ... quash.html

This article is referenced in the latest article on Orange Toilet News, Magic Grits - Part I

Now, knowing how these programs work and the mindset of the oporators, do you think this kid had access to food, water, his ID, a phone or any WAM? Can you honestly imagine him walking out and the staff saying "Hey Diego, look, you forgot your phone and wallet. And you should take some food and water too. It's a long walk. Are you sure you don't want a ride? Really?" I mean, can you imagine that conversation and keep a straight face?

Ursus · « **Reply #7 on:** September 13, 2009, 03:22:02 PM »

Judging by the comments on this article, I would venture that most of the locals have no clue as to what attending Horizon Academy actually entails...

"it s a very high priced private school"

"I hear that they have an excellent program for troubled young people."

"The website is really informative. It's a school for troubled teens."[/list]

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Comments on the above article, 19-year-old man found safe in Southern Nevada desert:

By JPM42 8/14/09 at 11:29 a.m.

With so many desert tragedies in the news recently.. very good to read this story. Hopefully this young man can get the help he needsBy LasVegas2009 8/14/09 at 11:32 a.m.

McDonalds? If I had been held for a year in camp I didnt wanna be at you would find me at the cat house.By rejco100 8/14/09 at 11:41 a.m.

Sad thing is, now they will put this kid in a locked cell, stripped to his undies, triple dose his brain-frying Psycho-Wacko prescribed meds until he is in a Zombie-Like state, and screaming in a whispers that no one can hear "Someone help me, please......"By davidwayneosedach 8/14/09 at 12:10 p.m.

Thank God they found him alive and unharmed. He obviously needs to be watched more closely.By LasVegas2009 8/14/09 at 12:20 p.m.

By FROMNYC2LV 8/14/09 at 12:47 p.m.

The parents care about him when he disappears, but he has been at this camp for a year? He has ADD (maybe something else in addition to that) too much for them to deal with apparently, so off he goes to camp! Wonder if they ever visit.By henderson 8/14/09 at 1:16 p.m.

Seriously, who lives at camp for a year? I want to know more about this camp. I didn't find anything on google.By rawaccess 8/14/09 at 1:21 p.m.

no kidding, i want to know what camp in the desert this is too...By JGoff 8/14/09 at 1:38 p.m.

C'mon Las Vegas Sun, do a little investigative journalism on this "camp."By LasVegas2009 8/14/09 at 1:44 p.m.

Yeah we need to know more about this "camp" and what goes on out there. Who runs it? Does it have any state or federal funding? Who oversees the day to day operations? Do they have a legal right to hold this man? What crime did he commit? Why was he out there for a year? I want some answers about this place. I hope the police investigate and see what is going on.By LasVegas2009 8/14/09 at 1:49 p.m.

I got friends who have ADD one owns a business he started from the ground up! So don't tell me just because someone has ADD they should be locked up in a remote camp forced to do who knows what. ADD is not an issue that warrants constant supervision. I am very concerned about this "CAMP" so how many people with ADD do they have locked up out there?By lilmama 8/14/09 at 2:45 p.m.

I am glad to hear they found him. For those of you asking about the camp I am going to guess that it is actually the Horizon Academy out in Amargosa. I hear that they have an excellent program for troubled young people. I dont know all the rules and regulations for the school but they do have a website. May help some of you outBy henderson 8/14/09 at 3:25 p.m.

By LV4LIFE 8/14/09 at 3:47 p.m.

WTF!By lilmama 8/14/09 at 4:38 p.m.

By henderson 8/14/09 at 4:48 p.m.

By djsmelko 8/14/09 at 9:23 p.m.

He has ADD? so what! leave him alone.By henderson 8/15/09 at 7:35 a.m.

By NielsJensen 9/13/09 at 8:21 a.m.

http://wiki.fornits.com/index.php?title=Victims)

did not have to be updated this time. The last entry is not a month old.

While I understand that the design of the justice system does not take illnesses like ADD into consideraton and it could let parents to detain their children preventive to warehouse them into adulthood, it is sad that such places exist because people are not properly prepared to enter the world as adult if they have lived in a secluded box in their childhood.

The use of the term "camp" does properly refer to the fact that they have outings. The "school" it self is fenced the "students" are monitored 24/7. The school belongs to the same chain of school, who had schools closed down in Mexico, the Czech republic and Costa Rica. Security is close to supermax standards.

I also guess that he could have chosen to leave in a normal way because he is 19, but the school operate with an "exit"-plan policy where the families are recommend to support graduation or confront the child with a referral to a shelter without support from the family if they choose to leave the school once they are adults.

It is a sad story regardless of the positive outcome.[/list]

© Las Vegas Sun, 2009

Oscar · « **Reply #8 on:** September 13, 2009, 04:28:23 PM »

I can see that that team no. 4 has been there. (It is a fraction of spft, which deals in preventing the concept of exchange students due to the cultural fauna polluting and monitors newspapers in that area). NielsJensen is one of their guys. They are also active on yahoo answers and certain message boards. Here is one of their answers from yahoo

I am grouped in team no. 2 with Paulu Numien (Youthrights) and Jens Petersen (Anti-wwasp).

Ursus · « **Reply #9 on:** September 13, 2009, 04:44:53 PM »

A comment left recently for one of the news articles on Richard Darrington mentions Horizon Academy. Darrington is also in Nevada now, but apparently in a different county.

Texex-Xpress may have some of Casa by the Sea's operation dates skewed a bit, and I don't think that Horizon is exactly a "lock-down" facility (at least not in the same vein that a place like Tranquility Bay was, though I could well be wrong), but s/he has the right idea as to where these places are coming from!

Quote

Texex-Xpress wrote:
Cont'd
Darrington has had a long association with a Mr. Dace Goulding who owned the facilities where the GA facility operated. Goulding was also the Director where Darrinton worked in Mexico that was shut down in 2004.

Prior to 2004, Goulding also owned and operated the Bell Academy in CA. I can't say with certainty that Darrinton worked here but he does disclose he worked in CA. Bell was shut down in 2003 by the State of CA for operating without a license and apparently went right across the border with their 'students' and started Casa by the Sea.

Horizon Academy which was/is in Las Vegas is also known as a WWASPS franchisee but it is a "lockdown" facility. Mr. Jade Robinson is the Director there and was also the Administrator for Bell Academy and Casa by the Sea.

Perhaps if the DCSD gives Mr. Darrington another news conference somebody could ask him more about his long past association with WWASPS.
9/10/2009 10:08:17 AM on recordcourier.com

Ursus · « **Reply #10 on:** September 13, 2009, 05:07:54 PM »

From January of this year:

Quote from: "FemanonFatal2.0"

...The owner of Horizon Academy, is Jade Robinson. A man who, when he was administrator at Casa By The Sea (raided and shut down for abuse) in Mexico, tackled, restrained and sat on me for hours because on my first day I started crying and demanded to talk to my mother. During the struggle I received a HUGE gash on my leg from the broken tile in the bathroom where I was held for 2 weeks, I slept and ate there as well.

I have been told that during the struggle of ABUSING me Jade Robinson received a scratch which was the "reason" that both Dace Goulding and Jade Robinson recommended that I be shipped to High Impact (raided and shut down for abuse) where I was nothing short of TORTURED for 2 months straight, until they had decided to "let me" come back to Casa By The Sea.

This same thing happened to many girls and I can assure you that Jade Robinson had everything to do with it. In fact once Jade left, to open up Bell Academy (now defunct) in California the ritualistic beatings seemed to dwindle off. (I also never saw that special torture bathroom be used again) So do you think Jade isn't abusing kids at Horizon? maybe because its a US school he cant or maybe he just had his fill in Mexico but I would still never trust my child near that man.

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=25592&p=322690#p322690

Ursus · « **Reply #11 on:** September 13, 2009, 05:27:15 PM »

Two more threads on Horizon Academy:

Anyone Heard of Horizon Academy?
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=10724[/list]

Brainwashed
viewtopic.php?f=44&t=25592[/list]

anythinganyone · « **Reply #12 on:** September 14, 2009, 12:39:31 AM »

Quote from: "Ursus"

A and I don't think that Horizon is exactly a "lock-down" facility (at least not in the same vein that a place like Tranquility Bay was)

What are you talking about? Horizon is as much of a lock-up as TB or any other WWASP facility is/was. It may not be as strict or physically abusive, but it's the same restrictions from the outside world and with a similar structure.

Anonymous · « **Reply #13 on:** September 14, 2009, 05:09:02 PM »

He didn't bring his cell phone? No way!!!! Geez I thought kids these days couldn't be anywhere without their cell phones? How weird! LOL!!!!!!!!!!

Oscar · « **Reply #14 on:** September 14, 2009, 06:03:36 PM »

Quote from: "anythinganyone"

Quote from: "Ursus"
A and I don't think that Horizon is exactly a "lock-down" facility (at least not in the same vein that a place like Tranquility Bay was)

What are you talking about? Horizon is as much of a lock-up as TB or any other WWASP facility is/was. It may not be as strict or physically abusive, but it's the same restrictions from the outside world and with a similar structure.

If you access Google maps and street view you can see that the entire campus is fenced, but they have a lot of outings unlike most of the WWASP facilities because any normal kid would think twice about running away in a desert which only last year did cost the life of a 11 year old boy and almost also the life of his mother.

I guess that they only reason the program is rumored to be more relaxed than the other WWASP facilities in operation is that they consider the flight risk almost none existence.

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