BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- Brevard County deputies said they found a 12-year-old girl who ran away with a man she met on the Internet. Deputies said the 19-year-old drove five hours from north Florida to pick her up from Port St. John and had believed the child was in danger.
According to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, 12-year-old Tiffany Tyson was found Friday morning after James Linch, 19, pulled into the driveway at his father's house in Quincy, Florida with the girl in the car. The girl was said to be in safe condition.
Linch's father had contacted police to alert them that the two had arrived at his home. James Linch and Tyson were taken into custody by Quincy police officers without incident, the sheriff's office said.
Linch will be charged with one count of interference with child custody in reference to an arrest warrant signed by Judge Crawford earlier Friday. His bond is set at $50,000.
Neighbors said they actually saw Tiffany Tyson leave Thursday morning, but didn't think anything of it. When her mother got home late Thursday, she found a note from her daughter. In the note, Tyson told her mother she was with Linch.
Deputies believe the two met over the Internet. They said Linch drove five hours from Quincy, in Gadsden County, to Port St. John to pick Tyson up. Neighbors saw Tyson leave home around 11:30 Thursday morning.
The sheriff's office said Tyson's mother was notified of the recovery of her daughter and arrangements were underway to reunite her with her daughter.