A 14-year-old Washington girl who had been missing from Mount Vernon for nearly a month was found safe in Michigan on Thursday, authorities said.
After the Mount Vernon Police Department learned that a teenage boy may have left home in a car, they found a 30-year-old boy named “Keith” by investigating the history of ride-sharing services in the area. They were able to track down the suspect, identified only as a year-old male, who shared a vehicle with them on January 5th.
“Due to limited ride-sharing options in Mount Vernon, investigators were able to identify the specific vehicle in which Mr. Ella may have been riding,” the department said in a press release Thursday. “Investigators were able to identify the subject, ‘Keith’, who ordered the rideshare for her and his address in South Haven, Michigan.”
Police said the girls’ parents were “overjoyed” to hear the 14-year-old had been found safe.
14-year-old girl missing in Washington may be with predator she met online, mother says
A search of the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office jail roster found a record for a man named Keith Freeksen, whose charges match those detailed in a press release by police. (Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office)
Police said they had probable cause to charge Jones with second-degree kidnapping because he transported her across state lines.
Jones’ mother previously told Fox News Digital that she had been communicating with an older man on social media before she disappeared from her home on the night of January 5th.
Amber Alert perpetrator flees police after 28 years due to alarm system inspired by incident
Washington detectives contacted Michigan’s Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, which traveled to the suspect’s property on Brewster Memorial Highway and took him into custody.
Keith Freaksen is charged in Michigan with first-degree criminal sexual assault, failure to register as a sex offender, and contributing to the delinquency of a child. He is charged with kidnapping in Washington. (Facebook)
A search of the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office jail roster found a record for a man named Keith Freeksen, whose charges match those detailed in a press release by police.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The suspect has been charged in Michigan with first-degree criminal sexual assault, failure to register as a sex offender and contributing to the delinquency of a child, authorities said.
Police continue to investigate Jones’ kidnapping.
