MAGEE, Miss. — A 14-year-old runaway from Texas was found safe Tuesday morning in Magee after officers discovered she had been traveling to Florida to meet someone she had met online, according to the Magee Police Department.
Police said officers responded at about 9 a.m. to a reported disturbance on Highway 49 South near the Pure Gas station. When they arrived, the people involved had already left the area.
As officers were clearing the scene, they saw a young girl walking north on Highway 49 carrying a backpack and stopped to check on her welfare, according to police.
During the investigation, officers learned the girl was a 14-year-old runaway from Quitman, Texas, police said. Authorities said she had taken a diesel truck and was headed to Florida to meet someone she had met online.
Police said the girl had stopped for fuel in Magee and mistakenly put gasoline into the diesel truck, causing it to break down. That led to officers locating and safely recovering her.
“This situation could have ended very differently, and we are thankful our officers were in the right place at the right time to help bring it to a safe outcome,” Chief Denis J. Borges said in a statement.
Borges said the case should serve as a reminder to families about the importance of monitoring children’s phone use and online communication.
“Situations like this can develop quickly and become dangerous before anyone realizes it,” Borges said.
