Two teenage sisters have been reported missing from a ranch for “troubled youth” days after it declared bankruptcy.
Jennehl Curry, 15, and Jaiylah Curry, 12, were last seen at Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch in Riverhead, New York, on February 8.
The two were last seen wearing gray sweatshirts and black sweatpants, with Jennehl wearing flip-flops and her sister wearing one orange sneaker and one blue sneaker.
The ranch, which has operated residency programs since 1980, filed for voluntary bankruptcy last month with debts totaling $4.8 million.
The center also faces as yet unknown liabilities due to five lawsuits currently pending against it, four of them under the New York Child Victims Act.
Jennehl Curry, seen here, was described by officers as 5-foot-6, 313 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, and was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, black sweatpants, black flip-flops and a red cap.
Jaiylah Curry is described as 5-foot-3 and 178 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, and was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, black pants, and one orange and one blue sneaker.
According to a report by Riverhead LocalThe lawsuits allege, among other things, negligence on the part of the ranch that resulted in alleged physical and sexual abuse.
The lawsuits, filed by Andrés Ramos, John Gubitosi, John Barci and Jayme Thode, claim that during the 1980s and 1990s they were physically and sexually abused or assaulted by other residents of the facility.
According Riverhead News ReviewGubitosi reported the physical and sexual abuse, but was forced to do so in front of other residents he had accused.
After several attempts to flee, Gubitosi went to his grandmother’s house and refused to return.
Ramos, who was 12 at the time, claimed there was “virtually no supervision” after “the lights went out” and that he was “repeatedly beaten, tortured and threatened into compliance.”
Barci claimed he was placed in a home with older residents when he was 12, who beat and sexually assaulted him.
Thode says in his complaint that “negligent and inadequate supervision created a culture of lawlessness,” which led to him being sexually assaulted.
Another lawsuit was filed last year by Isaura Estevez, whose daughter was a passenger in the one-carburetor vehicle operated by a ranch employee.
The lawsuit alleges that the employee “drove in a negligent, reckless and/or careless manner” and caused her daughter to “fall” from the vehicle, causing her injuries.
The ranch, which has operated residency programs since 1980, filed for voluntary bankruptcy last month with debts totaling $4.8 million.
Thaddaeus Hill, pictured, is the executive director of Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch.
The company stated in its petition that it had assets totaling more than $13.6 million, the majority of which came from real estate.
According to its website, the mission has been to transform the lives of “troubled youth and young adults” through “Christian-centered values” and life skills.
Outside of New York, the company also operates residential campuses in Tennessee, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Tennessee.
In a statement issued by CEO Thaddaeus Hill, he said: ‘The board of directors and staff of Timothy Hill Ranch have been actively seeking and hope to soon achieve a resolution to the civil lawsuits filed against our nonprofit organization.
‘The lawsuits are related to incidents that occurred between residents of the program more than 35 years ago. No staff were involved or charged in any way.’
The sisters’ disappearance comes just a week after a 12-year-old boy died less than 24 hours after being sent to a camp for troubled youth in North Carolina.
The unnamed preteen was transported with his parents’ consent by two men from New York to the camp on Friday, February 2.
Shortly after 8 a.m., police said they were called because the child was not breathing and rescue efforts were launched at the scene.
Former participants who went to the camp in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, described the conditions as “not humane.”
Alec Lansing, 17, seen here, ran away from his group on a hike in November 2014 and died of hypothermia.
In a statement, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office said, “The child was sent for an autopsy to Winston Salem as his death appeared suspicious as he had arrived at the camp less than 24 hours prior to his death.”
A Trails Carolina spokesperson said: “We are devastated by the tragic loss of a young life and our deepest condolences are with the student’s family and loved ones.”
Previous camp participants have described the conditions they face while in the facility, with one describing them as cruel.
It also made headlines in 2014 when 17-year-old Alec Lansing died of hypothermia after fleeing the camp.
DailyMail.com has contacted Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch for comment regarding the disappearance of Jennehl and Jaiylah.