A Boise 16-year-old who was reported missing last week was found in Texas on Monday after a four-day search.
A kidnapping suspect has been arrested and police are searching for a second suspect, according to a Tuesday news release from the Boise Police Department.
The 16-year-old girl “packed a bag, left a note” and left home Thursday, heading to Texas through eastern Idaho and Utah, the release said. Police investigators discovered the teen was “communicating with a stranger online” and began working with the Houston Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit.
On Monday, the teen was located at a Houston home with a 24-year-old suspect, who was arrested on an Ada County warrant on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping and human sex trafficking of a child, the release said.
The teen was receiving “support services” in Houston on Tuesday afternoon and authorities were “working with her family to bring her home.”
For the time being, the arrested suspect is staying in Houston.
“Additional federal charges are possible,” the news release said, saying police are working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
Law enforcement personnel are still searching for another suspect they believe took part in bringing the teen to Houston.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also assisted in the investigation.
“BPD reminds parents and guardians to talk to children about online safety and what to do if they receive messages from online strangers,” the release said.
“Kidnapping and human trafficking are among the most concerning threats when it comes to online predators,” Lt. Josiah Ransom of the Boise Police Special Victim’s Unit said in the news release. “The enticement of children online is something we see far too often, and we encourage anyone who has been a victim to seek help and report it to the police.”
