Missing Delaware County teen Riley Harkins has been found alive and safe, several sources close to the investigation tell yc.news.
According to family, the 15-year-old high school student managed to return home Wednesday after escaping captivity.
“She’s been trying to get home for some days but she wasn’t able to because she was being held hostage,” a family member told yc.news. “We are beyond thankful that she is well.”
Harkins had been missing since Sept. 24 after not returning home with a friend who later surfaced and notified authorities Harkins might be being held against her will.
“This teenager was lured to Philadelphia and held there,” a source close to the investigation revealed to yc.news. “This is no longer a missing persons case. This is now a kidnapping investigation.”
The source was unable to clarify if any arrests have been made at this point, but stated they intend to charge individuals in connection to the teenager’s disappearance.
Riley was located at an undisclosed location in Philadelphia Police’s 39th District, according to local reports.
We were first to report that FBI agents scoured the streets of Philadelphia over the weekend and again Monday night. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office provided the following comment to CBS3:
“Riley was located this afternoon in Philadelphia and will be reunited with her family,” said Delaware County District Attorney Kat Copeland. “We thank the community and the press for their outpouring of support which was instrumental in locating her. The investigation into this matter is ongoing. We thank our fellow law enforcement partners, including the lead agency, the Media Police Department, our Criminal Investigation Division, as well as the Philadelphia Police Department, the SEPTA Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service for their great work in ensuring Riley’s safe return.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.