A Florida teenager and his stepfather are facing felony charges after Flagler County detectives discovered the pair had been repeatedly hiding a habitual runaway juvenile.
The arrests of 17-year-old Christopher Galezaai and 53-year-old Richard Rios Jr. follow a year-long pattern involving Galezaai’s girlfriend, who has been reported missing seven times in the last twelve months.
The most recent investigation began after the girl was reported missing on April 2. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), the teenager briefly returned home on April 4 before disappearing again following a dispute with her parents. The situation came to a head on April 5 when Galezaai’s mother contacted emergency dispatchers to hand the girl over to law enforcement.
Detectives with the Major Case Unit revealed that Galezaai allegedly coordinated with Rios to pick up the girl and transport her to their home.
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Authorities say the two men allowed her to stay at the residence for long stretches without notifying her parents or the police, despite having received numerous warnings from deputies in the past. Investigators also noted that the pair provided false and misleading statements to hide their involvement.
The repeated disappearances have placed a significant strain on local resources. Sheriff Rick Staly expressed frustration over the wasted man-hours and public funds used to track down a juvenile whose location was already known by the suspects.
“This dirtbag will not receive the stepfather of the year award. Harboring a runaway juvenile is not only irresponsible but illegal and comes with serious consequences, as these two found out the hard way,” Sheriff Staly said. “In this case, our deputies and detectives have dedicated time and resources on numerous occasions to locate the missing juvenile only to discover these two knew her location all along and helping her. Their criminal behavior diverts law enforcement from responding to real emergencies and wasted taxpayer dollars. We plan to sue them to recover all costs taxpayers incurred. Let this be a reminder to anyone thinking of interfering in a missing persons case that if you interfere in an investigation, you will be held criminally and civilly accountable.”
Galezaai and Rios were both charged with interfering with the custody of a minor, a third-degree felony in Florida. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
Rios, who has a criminal record dating back to a 2000 arrest in Colorado for harboring a minor, was released from the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on a $2,500 bond.
His prior history also includes charges for burglary, domestic battery, and child neglect. Galezaai was processed and released to the custody of his parents by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
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