TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The 13-year-old girl who was reported missing Saturday after she vanished from her Plant City home was found in South Florida Tuesday following a dayslong search.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the girl was reported missing after she left her home without permission sometime between 1 and 3 a.m.
Following her disappearance, the sheriff’s office listed her as an endangered missing juvenile, prompting the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to issue a statewide missing child alert.
After nearly a week of searching, the teen girl was found in Broward County with 38-year-old Edward Rodriguez. Deputies said she met the man online.
“We are immensely grateful that this young girl has been found,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I want to extend my deepest thanks to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals for their quick and effective support. Our joint efforts have brought a young girl home to her family, and that is what truly matters.”