U.S. Marshals locate 49 missing children in Arizona

Lina Portman2 days ago

0 2 minutes read

The U.S. Marshals Service announced Monday morning that it had recovered or safely located about 200 children — nearly a quarter of them from Arizona — as part of a six-week nationwide operation called “We Will Find You 2” aimed at locating missing or abducted children across the country.

The agency said it recovered 123 children and located 77 others who were in a safe environment and did not need to be removed between May 20 and June 24, focusing on areas where large groups of missing children are located.

He added that 33 of the children recovered and 16 found safe were from Arizona.

“Marshals are known as the best fugitive hunters, but this mission was about finding the most vulnerable members of our communities,” Acting U.S. Marshal Van Bayless said in a statement. “Working with our partner agencies, we have located and recovered dozens of Arizona children who have been victims of abuse, forced addiction, and sex trafficking. This operation underscores the need to intensify our efforts to locate more victims and bring their captors to justice.”

The agency said the children found included a pregnant 16-year-old who ran away from a Glendale group home in March and a 14-year-old girl who disappeared in May after her mother tried to pick her up from a Phoenix mall and couldn't find her.

The Marshals Service said it worked with numerous Arizona agencies throughout the operation, including Phoenix police, the Pima County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis stressed that missing children can sometimes flee violent environments and that it was imperative that the agency get recovered children to a safe environment if the one they originally fled turns out to be violent.

“Anytime there's an environment that causes them to flee, I think we have at least a second chance to address those issues if we can locate them and get them to a safe environment, provide them with services and that's how we can make sure that child can (live) a productive life and not continue to be victimized or exposed to victimization,” Davis said.

Michelle DeLaune, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said at Monday's news conference that her organization has a history of helping the U.S. Marshal's Service locate missing children, noting that the problem is widespread across the country.

DuLaune said her organization received more than 36 million reports of child sexual exploitation last year, as well as nearly 150,000 calls to its 24/7 call center. She noted that about 90 percent of missing children have run away and are at risk of homelessness and sex trafficking.

DuLaune said the services and treatment found children receive are often tailored to each case, based on their needs. DuLaune said police officers work with local and state law enforcement to ensure a safety net is in place for found children if they need shelter or drug treatment.

The agency also located and recovered children in California, Oregon, Michigan, New York, Florida and North Carolina.

Lina Portman

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