WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — According to WZZM, WFMY’s sister station in Michigan, Ja’Da’ Whitehead, 13, was found in North Carolina by Winston-Salem police. Police also found 19-year-old Marquaress Josephs, who is now in custody.
Whitehead was reported missing by her family on Sunday. Her family told Kent County Sherriff's Office, in Michigan, that they believed she was with Marquaress Josephs.
Investigators later learned that Josephs was from New York and traveled to Grand Rapids to meet Whitehead.
Police said the two bought bus tickets and headed to Winston-Salem.
PHOTOS: 13-year-old missing girl from Michigan may be in Winston-Salem
The Kent County Undersheriff, Chuck DeWitt, said Josephs' mother lives in Winston-Salem. After the Winston Salem Police Department was notified, police found the two at the Salem Crest Apartment Complex Monday night around 6:30 p.m.
"Whether it's voluntary or not, because of the age of the victim, 13, under the age of 14 obviously, it doesn't matter if there's force or not, she's not able to make that decision on her own and when the elements of enticing a child away from their parents, detaining a child away from their parents, when those become present in the circumstances of a case, that's when it becomes kidnapping," DeWitt said.
Josephs is charged with kidnapping and is in the custody of the Forsyth County Detention Center. Josephs is also charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, here in North Carolina.
"The child had left without her mothers consent and so any time when a child of that age is with someone that they're not supposed to be with it automatically raises the flag pole that this is a serious situation," DeWitt said.
Deputies said the two recently met online. DeWitt stresses the importance for parents to monitor their kids online, as it could've been a different ending.
"This day and age that social media is so, so apart of our children's lives that we're probably never going to remove it however it's so important to monitor it," he said. "You can never be too safe, so being proactive, looking at what they're looking at on the internet, looking at their chats identifying who they are in communication with is so critical."
Whitehead is in the care of her mother now, on their way back to Michigan.
A spokesperson with the Winston-Salem Police Department released the following statement Monday night:
"The Winston-Salem Police Department was contacted by Kent County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan in reference to locating a 13-year-old female and 19-year-old male. WSPD officers located the two in Winston-Salem Monday evening. The 19-year-old male is identified as Marquaress Anthony Josephs of Bellport, NY. He has been arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The minor is in the process of being returned to family in Michigan."