A 15-year-old Memphis girl reported missing from a care facility on Sept. 1 has been found in Honolulu and taken into custody, authorities said. Local and federal partners are now working to return her to Tennessee while investigators complete welfare checks.
According to FOX13 Memphis, the Memphis Safe Task Force received a tip on Nov. 2 that pointed investigators to Oʻahu and passed the lead to local partners. The U.S. Marshals Service says Honolulu police found the teen in a garage on Nov. 6 and took her into custody to begin the process of returning her to Tennessee.
Found during Oʻahu recovery efforts
The discovery came amid broader, multi-agency child-recovery work on Oʻahu involving state and federal investigators, the Honolulu Police Department, and community partners. The Hawaiʻi Governor’s Office says Operation Shine the Light recovered 10 endangered children in October with help from the U.S. Marshals and other federal partners.
What investigators say about the case
FOX13 Memphis reports the teen was last seen walking along Highway 64 before she was reported missing from a facility on Sept. 1. A tipster told investigators the youth and her father had been living in a minivan at a construction site in Hawaii, the outlet adds. FOX13 also reports the father has a lengthy criminal history in California and Hawaii and was not present when officers located the child.
Next steps for the young person…