COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – A girl who went missing from Colerain in February has been found alive in Florida, and a suspect is in custody, the FBI announced.
The bureau said agents tracked down Madison Fields after police narrowed in on a person of interest. Authorities have not released the suspect’s identity, and it was not immediately clear what charges the suspect may face.
A missing Colerain Township teen has been rescued in Florida. The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) found Madison Fields safe. (Provided)
Retired FBI special agent Harry Trombitas, who said he investigated similar cases during his 30-year career, described the personal stakes for investigators.
“We in law enforcement have our own families. We have our own kids. And when we see something like this happen, our immediate thought is that this could be our child,” Trombitas said. “We feel the anguish and the pain that the parents are feeling.”
The FBI detailed Friday what led to finding Madison. Investigators identified a person of interest in Tennessee, and the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team searched a home where agents believed the suspect lived. When they arrived, agents found no one there.
“The FBI places a big priority on working these kinds of cases,” Trombitas said.
The search then moved farther south to Florida and to a hotel where authorities believed the suspect was staying. Investigators put out a description of the suspect and the suspect’s vehicle, and agents in Palatka located it. Madison was found safe at the hotel, authorities said.
Colerain Township Police Chief Ed Cordie said, “We are all relieved that Madison has been safely located. Colerain Police and our partners never gave up hope that she would be found. I am thankful for the hard work of our officers and detectives and the support of the community.”
A missing Colerain Township teen has been rescued in Florida. The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) found Madison Fields safe. (Provided)
Trombitas called the case a reminder of the importance of coordination among agencies.
“These are very serious situations, and, you know, thank goodness for the cooperation between the FBI and local law enforcement that they were able to identify the perpetrator and this individual in this particular case,” Trombitas said.
Investigators previously arrested 43-year-old Kyle Lawrence for traveling to Colerain Township to meet the teen.