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maleficent · 01-13-2006, 03:37 AM

Hudson teens return from unauthorized European jaunt

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HUDSON, N.H. -- The vacation is over for the globe-trotting Hudson teens who hopped a plane to Rome last week.

Last night, the European adventure came to an end for Marc Lebourdais, 17, and Corwin Lagueux, 16, who flew to Italy without their parents' permission. Police believe the teens took a flight from Logan Airport to Newark and then to Miami, flying to Milan from there. Yesterday, U.S. marshals escorted the pair onto a return flight.

"One of the steps we took was to ensure they were actually on the flight," said Hudson police Sgt. Charles Dyac.

Lebourdais and Lagueux landed at JFK International Airport in New York City about 6 p.m., aboard Alitalia Flight 610. Dyac said the teens' parents were picking them up and suspected the parents had purchased the tickets to fly their sons home.

After the boys made it through U.S. customs and finally were reunited with their parents, the parents contacted Hudson police with the good news about 7:45 p.m.

That conversation was very brief, but the parents did express how important it was to them that the boys were finally home safe, police said.

Police say the teens voluntarily responded to the U.S. Embassy in Italy.

"I think the parents' influence had a lot to do with them stopping this joy-riding spree that they're having," Dyac said. "Money could have been an issue, but we won't know that until we sit down and speak with them."

Both boys have profiles on the Web site Myspace.com, with several comments from friends on both profiles.

While the friends' comments were mainly supportive initially, several friends had posted yesterday and Tuesday to ask the boys to come home, and come home safe.

One friend, "Jerome," who posted on Lagueux's profile Monday, saying "You guys pump me up so much," posted again on Tuesday saying "Corwin, get your red face home, brotha. you can't be failing classes left and right."

The Web site showed that both boys had logged into their profiles at some point on Tuesday.

Another friend, "Imran Mahmud," posted Monday on Lebourdais' profile, saying "You're living your dreams, guys ... Europe, adventure, media, international manhunt by Interpol ... but make sure you stay safe to reflect back on it. Be safe, come home when you're ready to."

Police say they've seen cases where teenagers have run off for destinations such as Florida or New York, but nothing quite like this.

"What really sensationalizes this case is, one, that they went so far overseas, and two, this story follows so soon after the juvenile who went to Iraq," Dyac said.

Police don't know yet if this is a copycat incident of 16-year-old Farris Hassan of Florida, who traveled to Iraq recently without the permission of his parents.

Hudson police worked with Interpol, the international police agency, to communicate with Italian authorities. Interpol cooperated as best as it could, Dyac said, but finding two individuals in a country the size of Italy is not an easy task.

For now, no charges are being filed against the teens. Police say this is a "status," or runaway, offense. If Lagueux and Lebourdais were 18, the police wouldn't even be looking into it. Because the teens are still minors, they are more restricted.

While the pair may not have to worry about criminal charges coming from police, they will have to answer to their parents.

"I don't even know if they're sure themselves how they're going to handle it," said Dyac, who spoke with the parents briefly. "They strike me as good people who are going to act appropriately -- no unnecessary bludgeoning."

Lagueux and Lebourdais also have some explaining to do for Alvirne High's administration. Principal Bryan Lane said school officials consider unique situations like this on a case-by-case basis, so the fate of the two students has yet to be determined.

"There's a team of people that would come together and decide what is the most appropriate action to take, like the Guidance Department and other administrators," Lane said.

Police weren't certain yesterday if the teens and their families would be coming home late last night, or would spend the night in New York and return today. Police hope to speak with Lagueux and Lebourdais today.

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They strike me as good people who are going to act appropriately -- no unnecessary bludgeoning."

My favorite quote from the article...

For fear of what my parents would do to me,I'm not sure I'd have the guts to do what these two boys did... If my mother's threat of "may you have a child exactly like you" were actually karma- these two boys are in serious trouble when they are older...

What's the worst thing you ever did as a teenager, and did you get away with it? WhenI was 16 - I was grounded for something -- but I had Grateful Dead tickets -- so.. I snuck outof the house- took the train from Connecticut into NYC (with 2 friends) went tot he concert- took the train home -- and on my way back into the house-- fell - and sprained my ankle...oops... (My parents got the true story of my ankle sprain when I was 35...