Florida Girls Who Stole Dad's Car to See Online Friend in Louisiana Safely Returned Home
Two Florida girls managed to steal a car from one of their dads and drove 400 miles to meet someone they had met online.
Khloe Larsen, 14, and Jade Gregory, 12, were reported missing on Thursday morning before being found later that day in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Police said the girls were then brought back home safely.
Union County Police Department Captain Lyn Williams confirmed to CBS News that Gregory and Larsen stole the car belonging to Gregory's father and then crossed state lines "with the intention of meeting someone they'd been speaking to online."
A missing child alert was quickly released on social media, stating, "They may be traveling in her parents' Mr. Gregory's, 2016, black Ford Taurus, FL TAG: BWKU59. The children may be traveling west on I-10 in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area."
The girls were reportedly on their way to Louisiana to meet another teenager they supposedly met online. The identity of that supposed online friend is still unknown.
According to the Union County Sheriff's Office, the two girls were not found with an adult, and no foul play was suspected.
Florida Girls Saw Themselves on TV After They Were Reported Missing
After the two Florida girls were reported missing, the word about their disappearance quickly spread, and local TV stations even covered it.
According to KSNV, the Florida girls stopped by a store on their way to Louisiana and saw themselves being featured as missing on TV. The store was in Bayou La Batre, near the Mississippi border.
Reports of their time in Alabama noted that the girls were not cooperating with authorities and that their parents were frantic.
Reports also indicated that the FBI had already taken over the investigation, though the Union County Sheriff's Office still thanked the other agencies for their help in the girls' recovery.
Federal authorities and multiple agencies in Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana have reportedly contributed to the investigation.
Sex Traffickers May Have Lured Florida Girls
A massive federal investigation was launched following reports of the two Florida girls' disappearance. However, Jade Gregory and her friend Khloe Larson ended the search when they finally turned themselves over to the police in Alabama.
The FBI is now trying to find out who is this person in Louisiana who has contacted the girls. NDTV reported that the FBI is investigating several angles, including a person they believe the teenagers were planning to meet.
The feds still consider the possibility that a sex trafficker lured the children. Gregory and Larson have reportedly returned to their respective homes in Lake Butler in Union County, Florida.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Girls Missing From Florida Found Safe in Bayou La Batre - From FOX10 News
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