Investigators say that a missing 17-year-old girl had been living with a 44-year-old man for most of the time she was away. Penelope Wise was located by deputies Sunday afternoon at a home in Rockford.
"We're happy that she's been found," Penelope's mother, Mishael Wise, told FOX 17 Monday.
"Sad that we can't see her yet... the kids themselves have a lot of mixed emotions right now."
It was about 11 a.m. Sunday when investigators arrived on scene after getting a call from a neighbor. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office says a “community member” called 911 after seeing the teenager riding a bicycle .
“We are trying to heal and put our family back together,” Mishael explained.
Wise reportedly left her family home voluntarily all the way back on May 31, 2024. She was previously spotted on surveillance camera near the Corner Bar in downtown around midnight on June 1.
Investigators now say that Wise met the 44-year-old man around 2 a.m. June 1.
“He was a stranger,” a statement from the sheriff’s office explains. “Penny lived with the man in his Rockford home starting on June 1, 2024, until yesterday.”
Investigators also said Monday that they believed the 17-year-old and 44-year-old had become “engaged.”
"They were actively trying to conceal her identity and location from us," Kent County Undersheriff Bryan Muir said Monday. "Both her and the male individual that she was located staying with."
Despite the fact that investigators believe the man was helping Penelope evade authorities and her family, he will likely not face any criminal charges.
"Right now, and this point in the investigation, there is no criminal charges," Undersheriff Muir said. "Even for him not working with us and letting [us] know where Penny was located, we don't have any criminal charges."
It's a sentiment echoed by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker.
"We looked at a bunch of charges, there's just nothing that covers this," Becker explained late Monday.
Becker told FOX 17 that his office looked at the possibility of issuing charges such as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or harboring a runaway.
But, those charges can only be applied if the victim is 16-years-old or younger, putting the prosecutor's office in a difficult scenario.
Since Wise went missing, the sheriff’s office has worked extensively with the FBI, the U.S. marshals and the Rockford Department of Public Safety.
Her family has yet to be reunited with the teenager.
“There's a lot that she needs to process right now," Undersheriff Muir explained Monday. "There's a lot that we can't help her with, but we're making sure we're connecting her with the right community resources to find the best resolution for her in the end.”
The agencies conducted a number of searches in downtown Rockford, near the Corner Bar, where she was last seen on camera.
*FOX 17 removed photos of Penelope where her face is clearly seen since she has been found safe and may be a victim of a crime.
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