“Mount Vernon investigators immediately contacted Ella's parents who were elated with the news,” cops say.
Missing teen Ella Jones has been found safe and unharmed nearly a month after she disappeared, police said.
The Mount Vernon police department said that on Tuesday, they received information about the identity of a man who Ella's family said they believed was someone the 14-year-old was communicating with before she vanished. The family said they believed the man’s name was Keith.
"As a result, investigators learned the missing juvenile had potentially used a ride share service," police said in a release to Inside Edition Digital. "Mount Vernon has limited ride share options, so investigators were able to locate a particular ride that Ella might have taken. Investigators were able to then identify the subject ‘Keith’ who ordered that ride share for her and his address in South Haven, Michigan.”
Police said that “the juvenile had traveled multi states, it supported probable cause for Kidnapping 2nd degree. Detectives then partnered with the local agency, the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, to investigate the location further. Sheriff's Office investigators went to the Blue Star Memorial Highway property and located Ella unharmed.”
A 30-year-old man was taken into custody and is currently being held on charges of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, being a sex offender and failing to comply with the registration act and contributing to the delinquency of a child, police said. Due to the multiple locations and jurisdictions involved, formal criminal charging is still being coordinated between agencies, officials said.
“Mount Vernon investigators immediately contacted Ella's parents who were elated with the news,” cops said.
Cops have not released his name. Cops said the investigation is ongoing and more information will be available about the specific efforts involved in this case once our investigation is complete.
“Locating Ella safely is directly attributed to the family, friends and many who showed concern and compassion for her well-being. It's also directly attributed to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who helped when investigative leads went beyond our jurisdictional boundaries or abilities. In particular, we thank the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office for their efforts in ultimately locating Ella,” police said in a statement.
News of the 14-year-old’s discovery was posted to social media Thursday afternoon by the group “Find Ella Jones.”
Ella was last seen on Jan. 5 inside her home. Her mother reported her missing the following morning.
Her family told Inside Edition Digital that they believed Ella met a man who went by "Keith" on the social media platform Omegle. Omegle gained popularity among teens during the COVID-19 pandemic. The site shut down in November.
