Federal and local authorities safely located two missing teenagers in a Cleveland apartment late Wednesday, ending a month-long search that began when the girls left a foster home in Toledo.
Members of the U.S. Marshals-led SPEAR Unit (Specialized Personnel for Enforcement, Apprehension, and Recovery) found the 17- and 15-year-old juveniles in the 1200 block of West 25th Street. The Toledo Police Department had reported both girls missing on July 10, 2026, and worked alongside federal partners after learning the teens may have traveled to Cleveland with an adult male.
Two adult men were at the residence when law enforcement arrived. Officers arrested 42-year-old Carlos Bruton at the scene.
Bruton was already out on bond in Cuyahoga County for active charges involving unlawful sexual contact with a minor and interference with custody. A second man, aged 30, was detained while local police evaluate potential charges.
Officers searched the apartment and recovered a handgun along with drug paraphernalia.
The multi-agency operation included the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, the FBI, the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, and several municipal police departments.
“Cases such as this are some of the most important cases we work,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said in a statement. “Missing children are vulnerable to adults wishing to do them harm and use them for devious and detrimental reasons. We will continue this work across all of Ohio and across the country to ensure the safety of our children.”
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force asks anyone with information about wanted fugitives to call 1-866-4WANTED or submit a tip online. Callers may remain anonymous and could qualify for a reward.
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