The Amber Alert was first issued on Sunday after the teen was last seen in the Bakersville area around 10 p.m. Saturday. Mitchell County Sheriff's deputies initially conducted two different dog tracks, which led investigators to conclude the girl was likely picked up by a vehicle.
The extensive search and investigation reached a positive conclusion early Monday morning when the Mitchell County Sheriff's Office announced the missing teen had been found safe in Ohio.
Ohio Man Faces Abduction Charges
On Tuesday, law enforcement officials secured a felony warrant for Christopher Eugene Biederman, 32, of Lima, Ohio, charging him with the abduction of a child.
Biederman is currently being held at the Allen County Detention Center in Ohio. In addition to the North Carolina fugitive warrant for abduction, he is also being held on a felony warrant for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor filed by the Lima Police Department.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assisted local authorities, providing crucial intelligence that ultimately led to Biederman’s location and the recovery of the teen.
WNCTimes