A 25-year-old man is behind bars in the Florida Keys after deputies say he allowed a runaway teenager to live in his home for a month, fully aware that authorities were looking for her.
Maykol Campos Guteirrez was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and charged with interference with the custody of a minor. The charges stem from his alleged housing of a 17-year-old girl who had fled from Douglas County, Georgia.
According to the arrest report, the situation wasn’t a case of mistaken identity or confusion about the girl’s age. Investigators say the teen explicitly told Campos Guteirrez that she was 17, a runaway, and that people were actively searching for her. Despite her disclosure, he allegedly allowed her to stay at his residence for approximately four weeks.
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Authorities noted that during that month, Campos Guteirrez made no attempt to contact law enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the guardian agency trying to locate the minor.
He is accused of acting with reckless disregard for the girl’s age and legal status. Under the law, he faces charges for harboring, aiding, and concealing a minor from their lawful parents without authority. Campos Guteirrez was booked into jail on Tuesday.
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