A teen reported missing from Ohio has been found safe in Florida, according to the FBI.
Madison Fields, 16, had been missing since February 13, and the Colerain Township Police Department arrested a man in connection with her disappearance, Us Weekly previously reported.
“We are thankful Madison is safe and will soon be back in Ohio,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “I want to thank all the law enforcement agencies involved for their relentless work to find Madison.”
“We are all relieved that Madison has been safely located,” stated Colerain Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III. “Colerain Police and our partners never gave up hope that she would be found. I am thankful for the hard work of our officers and detectives and the support of the community.”
“The successful rescue of this teen is the product of strong law enforcement partnerships and underscores the vital role of Endangered Missing Child alerts,” added Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “When a child is reported missing, law enforcement uses every tool at their disposal and leaves no stone unturned.”
Fields was located after the Colerain Police, BCI, and FBI identified a person of interest in her disappearance who lives in Tennessee.
The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team was deployed to the suspect’s home, but the suspect had fled prior to their arrival, according to an FBI press release.
“Law enforcement was then able to identify a hotel in Florida where the suspect was believed to have been staying,” reads the release. “An alert to law enforcement was issued to be on the lookout for the suspect and his vehicle. That vehicle was located by FBI Jacksonville and local police in a parking lot in Palatka, Florida. Madison was then found safe at the local hotel.”
The suspect was taken into custody and “more details on the charges” he will be facing “will be released in the near future,” the release explained.
The news comes after a New York man who had “previous interactions” with Madison was indicted on federal sexual exploitation charges.
On Thursday, March 12, Kyle Lawrence, 43, was charged with transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and transportation of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. It was unclear if he has entered pleas to those charges, and attempts to reach his lawyer were unsuccessful Friday, March 13.
If you know of a young person who is being exploited or are the victim of a crime, you are urged to report it to your local FBI field office by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Tips can also be left at tips.fbi.gov
