Neighbor recalls moment missing Michigan girl, 17, found at 44-year-old's home after getting engaged

A neighbor who found a 17-year-old missing Michigan girl after she'd been living with a 44-year-old man for weeks has spoken of her relief.

Prosecutors have decided not to press criminal charges against the man living with Penelope Wise for seven weeks while her family was frantically searching for her. Penelope "Penny" Wise was found at a residence on Northland Drive in Rockford, Michigan , on Sunday afternoon, after a neighbor who had been following the case spotted the girl loading items onto a bicycle.

Officials said she had been found living with an older man to whom she was also engaged. Penelope had run away from her Cedar Springs home on May 31 at around 6 p.m., according to family members who reported her missing to the Kent County Sheriff's Office .

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"I know not everybody believes in God, but I really believe that he put us in the right place, at the right time to see her," a neighbor, who had been following the case and saw the girl packing items onto a bike, shared with FOX 17. "I think it was divine."

She was seen on a surveillance camera near the Corner Bar in downtown Rockford around midnight on June 1. Roughly two hours later, at about 2 am, Kent County detectives suspect she encountered a 44-year-old man. They allege she accompanied the man to his house in Rockford, where she remained for almost seven weeks.

She was recognizable from the missing teen posters. Investigators responded and discovered Penny had moved into the home of a 44-year-old man the night she'd run away. The two apparently met June first around 2 a.m. For the next two months, she had lived with the unnamed resident until last Sunday when she was seen leaving the home on a bike.

They had also learned the two were engaged -the exact date is unclear at this time but likely happened between the teen's disappearance and the resident's call to police last weekend. Despite the uncertain circumstances, Penny was reported to be safe as the sheriff's office continues its investigation.

"We're happy that she's been found," Penelope's mother, Mishael Wise, told FOX Monday. "Sad that we can't see her yet... the kids themselves have a lot of mixed emotions right now." There are no charges authorized against Penny's fiancé at this time, according to the Kent County Prosecutor's Office.

"As I stopped at the stop sign, I saw a girl with her bike and she was crouched down," recounted a woman who resides just down the road from where she was found. She added: "She's looking at me, I'm looking at her, and as we were driving, I was like, 'Mom, that's the missing girl from Cedar Springs.'".

Penny seemed to be preparing her bike for a journey. The women knew they had to act quickly. "So, we drove up, we opened the window... My mom was like, 'Hey, honey, are you okay? ' and she kind of peaked her head over," she narrated.

"She's like, 'Yeah, I'm good,' and I was like, 'Do you need help? ' and she's like, 'No, no, I'm fine.'". The neighbor felt it in her gut: they had found Penelope Wise.

"We've been following the case online; we've been looking at her picture; we've been thinking about Penny," she shared. She remembered the Kent County Sheriff's Office even coming through the neighborhood several weeks ago to search for anyone with surveillance video that might show Penny.

"So, she's been on our mind, and it was like a jolt hit." The man does have previous unrelated criminal convictions on his record, including felony domestic violence involving a pregnant individual, misdemeanor child abuse, and assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

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The Kent County Prosecutor, Chris Becker, shared his insights with FOX 17 on the heartbreaking case that left everyone baffled. "You'd think there'd be some sort of law that would prevent this, but we looked at it," he admitted on Tuesday.

He added with evident frustration, "It's clearly troubling, but we can't just charge things that we find troubling. We have to follow the law, and that's what we did."

The legal team poured over the details, trying to find a way to issue charges such as contributing to the delinquency of a minor or harboring a runaway, but they hit a dead end since these charges apply specifically to victims under 16. "If this was under 16, there's a whole different ballgame," Becker said, outlining the limitations they faced.

Another potential charge considered was custodial interference, which only pertains to parental custody disputes, leaving authorities with their hands tied. Becker bluntly stated, "We were just left without anything to charge."

Meanwhile, Penny remains separated from her family, staying at a juvenile facility where she's getting help. Her mother, Mishael Wise, told FOX 17, "We're happy that she's been found. We are trying to heal and put our family back together."

Police continue to urge anyone with more information to step forward and contact the Sheriff's Office at (616) 632-6100 or Silent Observer.