Runaway teenagers found safe in Chicago

A pair of Michigan teenagers who have been missing from their homes since Aug. 26 were found in a Chicago parking lot at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Jayden Nicole Thomas, a 13-year-old from Clare, and Braxton Michael Edward Wood, 14, of Mount Pleasant were spotted in a parking lot by a resident near Wrigley Field, according to Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski. They were sent back to Michigan for a hearing in Probate Court Sunday morning.

They were found in one of their father’s 2005 black Ford Explorer, which was also reported missing.

“A resident noticed the car and called the police,” Mioduszewski said. “(The court) wants to make sure they’re not going to run away again."

No charges have been filed, and the court is investigating the case for possible motives. Mioduszewski was unable to comment on why the teens initially ran, but they are reported to be safe and have been in contact with their parents.

Although Mioduszewski said runaways occur occasionally, the amount of time the teens were missing is uncommon.

“For someone to be gone for so long, it’s a rare occurrence,” he said. “To be gone for two weeks is an exceptional amount of time.”