Public safety officials used drones and tracking dogs to find and safely return a 15-year-old girl to her family after she ran away, says Cornelia Police Chief Johnathan Roberts.
The incident began around 9 p.m. Friday, March 29, when the teen reportedly jumped out of her mother’s vehicle on Business US 441 near the Cornelia Fire Department. She ran toward O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.
Cornelia police set up a search in the area. Firefighters and Baldwin police assisted, along with Habersham County deputies and a K9 unit from the Banks County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 10:15 p.m., searchers found the girl in Demorest near Hyde Park Lane, within a mile of where she was last seen. Authorities safely returned the juvenile to her mother.
According to Roberts, the girl’s mother told police her daughter has mental health issues and the incident stemmed from that.
“I am very thankful for the rapid response from our neighboring agencies and that the young lady was safely returned,” he said.
