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A 61-year-old staff member at a rehab facility near Escalante was killed early Tuesday morning after a teenage student allegedly attacked him.

The 17-year-old boy, who had been attending the treatment center, apparently assaulted the staff member about 7:30 a.m., according to a news release from Garfield County Sheriff's Office, though its unclear what prompted the attack or if a weapon was used.

The man died from the injuries.

A youth who witnessed the attack ran to a nearby building for help. A female staff member responded and confronted the suspect. She was also assaulted and was later taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. Both employees had significant head trauma.

The suspect — who police are not identifying because he is a juvenile — then took a staff member's car and drove toward Escalante, the release states.

Two deputies responding to the scene tracked down the car and a high-speed chase ensued. The officers forced the car to stop and arrested the teen.

Garfield County Sheriff's Office declined to disclose the name of the 61-year-old staff member who died.

Juvenile Justice Services spokeswoman Jackie Chamberlain confirmed that the incident took place at Turn-About Ranch, 280 N. 300 East.

"It's really just a tragic case," she said.

A staffer at the school answering phones said he could not comment about the episode. The ranch accepts students ages 13 to 17 who suffer from "emotional and behavioral issues," according to its website, including depression, ADHD, substance abuse, "defiance, rebellion, low self-esteem and poor academic performance." As part of the treatment, students work at the cattle ranch, feeding the animals, harvesting crops, taking classes and learning horsemanship with a schedule that starts each day at 6:30 a.m.

Michelle Lindsay, the ranch's executive director, said the student had been attending the school "just briefly." She could not say, specifically, how long he was there, but that it was less than a few weeks at the facility. The staff is mourning the loss of the 61-year-old, she said, in the small, tight-knit community.

"We're deeply saddened," Lindsay said, "by the loss of one of our family."

The ranch also said in a news release: "Working with troubled youth comes with certain risks; nevertheless, we wish to express our commitment to continue to provide outstanding values-based treatment for troubled youths as we have done for the last 25 years."

ctanner@sltrib.com Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner