Missing Teen, 13, From Kentucky Found in Silver Spring

A missing teen from Kentucky has been found in Silver Spring, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. The focus of the authorities is to surround the girl with a lot of support and care, considering the traumatic experience she unfortunately had to go through.

Missing Teen Found in Silver Spring

A man from Silver Spring was arrested and taken to Rockcastle County Detention Center in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, on Friday morning. Christian Alexander Delgado, 37, is charged with kidnapping the teen Wynter Wagoner, who had been missing since October. Delagdo’s bond was set at $1 million.

He is scheduled to appear in the county’s court on Monday, Jan. 5, at 9:30 a.m. According to law enforcement officials, the teenager is now safe, and Delgado faces serious felony charges related to the abduction. The case began on October 14 in Mount Vernon, a small community in Rockcastle County, Kentucky. The 13-year-old, whose name is being withheld by some outlets but was identified as Wynter Wagoner

She was reported missing by her foster parent on that day. The foster family couldn’t locate her and no one witnessed Wagoner leaving the residence. Neighbors interviewed by detectives reported seeing no unusual activity or vehicles near the home at the time. Early searches of the immediate area yielded no evidence of her whereabouts, leaving investigators with few leads.

More Details of the Case

As the weeks passed, concern grew within the community A detective noted in the official arrest warrant, of=batined by WLEX, that evidence suggested the teenager had “planned on running away for several weeks” prior to her disappearance. However, it wasn’t until late December that a significant break in the case occurred.

On December 26, the day after Christmas, the missing teen contacted her aunt by phone. During the call, she revealed her location in Maryland. The aunt immediately relayed this critical information to the U.S. Marshals Service, triggering a rapid federal response. Agents descended on the Silver Spring home where they recovered the teenager and detained Delgado. The teen’s father Dusty Wagoner praised an unnamed a woman who had asked his daughter if she was the missing teen she had seen in reports.

He said, from a WKYT video report obtained by The Banner, ““Without that, I never would have found her, I feel like she saved my daughter’s life.” Court documents filed by the Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Department provide a detailed account of the logistics involved in the alleged kidnapping. The arrest warrant indicates that Delgado admitted to investigators that he had met the minor online.

Following their digital interactions, Delgado allegedly embarked on a significant cross-country journey to facilitate the abduction. Investigators state that Delgado drove from Florida to Kentucky to pick up the 13-year-old. After collecting her, he reportedly drove back to Florida before eventually transporting her north to his residence in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The interstate nature of the crime involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Montgomery County Department of Police in Maryland and federal marshals, working in conjunction with Kentucky authorities. Following his arrest on a warrant issued December 26, Delgado appeared for a bond hearing in Montgomery County District Court on December 29.

Legal Proceeding For The Case

During the videoconference hearing, Delgado attempted to downplay the charges against him. According Delgado addressed the court directly regarding the allegations as a “misunderstanding. Prosecutors swiftly disputed this characterization of events. Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Rubinstein emphasized the gravity of the situation during the proceedings.

He noted that the suspect took the minor from her home and transported her across state lines with no intention of returning her to her legal guardians. Following his initial detention in Maryland, steps were taken to extradite Delgado back to Kentucky to face charges. The investigation remains active. An official from the Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office indicated that further details regarding the inquiry might be released following the weekend.

The case highlights the ongoing dangers minors face regarding online grooming and the complexities of multi-state kidnapping investigations. As the legal process against Delgado commences in Rockcastle County, authorities are expected to continue analyzing the timeline of events between October and December.