Troopers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) Alpena Post responded to a residence in Sanborn Township to investigate a juvenile runaway, according to a Friday press release from the MSP. Upon arrival, troopers spoke with the parents and learned their 17-year-old daughter had run away and they needed assistance locating her. Utilizing the Life360 application on a family member’s cellphone, it was determined that she was at the Detroit Metro Airport. It was also discovered that the juvenile had been communicating with a male from Georgia on the internet and she was planning to meet him at a hotel.

While troopers were on scene, the juvenile’s parents received a text message with the juvenile’s flight information that was set to depart to Atlanta, Georgia within approximately 45 minutes of when the text was received. Troopers immediately contacted the Wayne County Airport Police (WCAP) and requested they attempt to locate the juvenile. WCAP was able to locate the juvenile who had already boarded the plane. She was removed from the plane and turned over to troopers to be reunited with her parents.

“I would like to recognize the troopers for not only acting quickly and decisively to prevent a dangerous outcome for the juvenile, but the excellent teamwork by all involved and the assistance from WCAP and the Metro South Post,” said Lt. Ashley Miller. “It is extremely important for parents to be aware of who their children are talking to online. Tracking applications on cellphones can assist in many ways, and in this case, it may have saved her life.”

The MSP Alpena Post was assisted by the MSP Metro South Post and the Wayne County Airport Police.