Florida girl, 12, steals father's car to meet online predator in Louisiana

A 12-year-old Florida girl stole her father’s car and took her 14-year-old friend across state lines to meet an online predator, authorities said. 

Jade Gregory and Khloe Larson were reported missing on Wednesday. Their disappearance triggered a federal search and a Missing Child Alert before authorities found out that they had voluntarily left their homes after stealing Gregory’s father’s 2016 black Ford Taurus. They were last seen in the area of the 11300 block of NE County Road in Lake Butler Florida. 

The two girls were headed to Louisiana from Gainesville, Florida to meet an unknown person they had met online. However, they made it about 400 miles before they were found in Alabama by authorities. They were not accompanied by an adult for their journey. 

“We have canceled our active missing children alert,” the Union County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement after finding the girls. 

“Jade Gregory and Khloe Larsen have been located safe in Bayou La Batre, Alabama,” the statement added. 

According to police, the two girls saw their images on television in a convenience store in Alabama and decided to turn themselves in to the police. 

The two girls were returned to their families in Florida, police said. 

Authorities are investigating the incident to determine whether the girls were lured to Lousianna by a sex trafficker. 

“Many thanks to the multiple agencies involved throughout Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana to include the F.B.I. and FDLE. Thank you for all the tips and information received,” the sheriff’s office said in a post on Facebook.