A South Carolina teenager who went missing late last year has been located safe, and a man has been arrested in the case, authorities said.
According to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, Mackenzie Dalton, 16, was discovered in Lexington County following an investigation into her disappearance.
Deputies said there’s no indication Dalton was ever held against her will or with someone she didn’t want to be around.
Dalton was reported missing after she was last seen leaving her home in late November, according to a sheriff’s office statement released on January 2. Authorities stated she was designated an endangered juvenile owing to her age and the length of time she had been missing.
Investigators earlier stated that Dalton may have been with a man she knew, but officials did not reveal the man’s identity.
The sheriff’s office stated that the vehicle Dalton drove away in and the bag she stole from her home were found during the inquiry. The teen was described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 118 pounds.
Deputies arrested Mackenzie Keith English Jr., 18, and charged him with obstruction of justice during their investigation.
Authorities accuse English of lying to investigators about his relationship with Dalton and his knowledge of her location.
The sheriff’s office reported that English is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center.
