Three teenage girls accused of attacking a counselor, stealing a van and kidnapping a housemate from a South San Jose group home for juvenile offenders were arrested Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the escape triggered Amber Alerts across parts of the state. Officials are reviewing whether to cite the home in question.

After tracking down relatives and friends of the missing girls, police found one of the suspects, a 17-year-old, in Stockton around 2 a.m. The other two suspects, 16 and 17, were found a few hours later in Ventura, along with the apparent kidnapping victim, who is 15, police said. It was believed the girls had family or acquaintances in the area.

The white van reportedly stolen from the group home on Kooser Road and targeted in the Amber Alert also turned up in Ventura, abandoned behind a hair salon, police said. A stylist who had heard of the alert called police.

All of the girls were found unharmed and readily surrendered, a lieutenant in Ventura said. The Mercury News is not naming the juveniles because they are no longer sought by authorities.

San Jose detectives were expected to bring the girls back to Santa Clara County for questioning, police spokeswoman Gina Tepoorten said. She said the suspects will likely face charges of armed robbery and kidnapping and would be tried in juvenile court.

Police began their search for the missing girls after an 11:44 a.m. call Tuesday from the group home in the 1400 block of Kooser Road, north of Blossom Hill Road. The counselor claimed three of the residents threw her to the ground, tied her up and threatened her with a kitchen knife. She said the girls then stole cash and the keys to the home's van, and apparently forced a fourth girl, who also lived at the home, to go with them, Tepoorten said.

All of the girls had been placed at the home for violating probation, but police would not discuss the juveniles' criminal histories.

On Wednesday morning, investigators centered their search on Ventura, more than 300 miles away, after two of the girls apparently telephoned the San Jose home for help.

``I'm not sure how police got the number, but they were able to trace the calls here,'' said Ventura police Lt. Ray Vance. ``They were calling because they wanted to turn themselves in,'' he said. ``They were scared.''

At 9:39 a.m. Ventura officers found one of the suspects and the alleged kidnapping victim standing near a pay phone, a few doors from a police substation at a strip mall.

Less than 30 minutes later, another officer patrolling a neighborhood a few blocks away was approached by a woman who claimed to be the aunt of one of the suspects, Vance said. The girl then quietly emerged from a home and surrendered, he said.

The three girls were taken to Ventura police headquarters.

Hours after the arrests, state officials who monitor and license group homes said they were launching an investigation that will include whether there was adequate supervision at the six-bed residence licensed to house juvenile offenders, said Andrew Roth, an official with the California Department of Social Services.

Roth would not discuss the level of care or treatment the home provided.

The facility, run by EE Residential Group Homes, has operated since March 2002 and has been cited for a few minor complaints, including an exposed nail and mildew in the shower, Roth said. But at least five other group homes owned by the same company have been cited in the past two years for problems with supervision. In one case, residents poured concrete into a neighbor's yard; in another instance, residents committed theft.

They ``were unsupervised and went AWOL,'' Roth said.

Edward Eldefonso, an officer of EE Residential Group Homes, would not comment.

Residents are referred to the homes by the court. There are 61 licensed group homes in Santa Clara County. Residents are referred by the courts. Oversight is provided by a state district office in San Jose, and licenses are renewed annually.