Teens say they were threatened with a gun and told they’d be killed and never be found

A teen is in Benton-Franklin Juvenile Detention Center on $50,000 bail after threatening to kill two teens and leave them where no one would find them.

The 16-year-old boy who has been detained left Sunnyside Saturday with the two teen victims and other people in the car, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said. They were outside of Prosser when an argument began about an earlier fight.

The victims said the argument took a scary turn somewhere outside of Prosser when the 16-year-old, who was driving the vehicle, pulled out a chrome-plated revolver from the center console and set it down in the cup holder, according to court records. He threatened to shoot them and leave them out in the county where they wouldn’t be found, they told police.

Child safety locks kept them from opening the doors until they stopped near Prosser. At that point, he stopped, put the gun away and opened the door.

The two teens escaped from the car, called 911 and hid in a yard.

As officers were searching the area, people spotted a gold car come into a driveway in the area and saw a youth run from the car. They called police, and a short time later deputies found the 16-year-old. They also discovered the pistol.

Prosecutors have until Wednesday to decide whether to charge him.

This story was originally published March 12, 2019 at 4:35 PM.