SANTA CLAUS — A multi-state search for a 15-year-old girl reported missing has come to an end after law enforcement located her in Florida, police say.
The girl had been reported missing from Santa Claus in Spencer County July 21 and was found late Sunday in a Jacksonville, Fla. apartment, according to the Santa Claus Police Department.
Law enforcement agencies on the local, state and federal levels became involved in the search after police received information indicating she had left Indiana. The U.S. Marshals Service and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children assisted.
Santa Claus Police Chief James Faulkenburg told WRTV the apartment where police found the girl was also occupied by two other people: a man and a woman. Both those individuals are under investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, a joint city-county law enforcement agency.
The girl was removed from the apartment "without incident" after Santa Claus police coordinated a law enforcement response at the building.
Faulkenburg credited assisting law enforcement agencies for their contributions to the search and investigations. He also thanked members of the public for providing tips to police.
"The Santa Claus Police Department encourages all parents, and guardians, to closely monitor their loved ones' internet activity on all social media platforms," Faulkenburg wrote in a statement. "Open dialogue with our kiddos on their online activity is essential to our efforts in keeping them safe."
-
Citizens Energy replacing lead service lines for Indianapolis customers
The Indianapolis utility company is providing replacement water lines to older homes that could still be using lead-based pipes.Billy Joel, Sting announce show at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2025
Two of the most iconic musicians of the last 50 years will join together for a concert at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2025.Homicide investigation underway after welfare check call at Barton Tower
According to IMPD, officers were called to the John Barton Tower around 2 p.m. on Wednesday for a welfare check. Officers located a man who was dead from apparent trauma.1984: Grandmother, postmaster awarded Sagamore of the Wabash
Indiana Governor Robert Orr presented 83-year-old Thelma Stouder with the Sagamore of the Wabash award in 1984. Stouder was Indiana's oldest living postmaster.