Kentucky authorities are searching for an 18-year-old and his 13-year-old girlfriend who were reported missing on Jan. 3. They are suspected of carrying out several car thefts and burglaries across the Southeast.
The pair allegedly plowed through a cattle farm in a vehicle in Kentucky destroying thousands of dollars worth of property before stealing a red pickup truck with a firearm inside and fleeing Kentucky. Their whereabouts were unknown until a surveillance video caught Dalton Hayes and Cheyenne Phillips in the truck outside of a Wal-Mart in Manning, S.C.
The footage also captured the couple entering the store where they were thought to have cashed a stolen check, according to Manning Police Chief Blair Shaffer. Shaffer stated that the couple went to one cashier and wrote a check, and store employees were not in any way suspicious.
The Grayson County Sheriff’s Department said the couple ditched their truck, along with the rifle inside,in Henry County, Ga. on Wednesday, according to ABC News. Officers suspect that the couple is driving a stolen 2001 silver Toyota Tundra. Sheriff Norman Chaffins said Thursday that there were two stolen firearms in the vehicle.
Surveillance photos of the teens at Wal-mart were released Thursday. Shaffer said that the police had no knowledge of them being in town. They found out three days later that they were runaways from Kentucky. As a result, they had no reason to believe that the pair was still in Manning. Henry County Police stated Friday that they are unsure whether the couple is still in Georgia, but they are checking local businesses for surveillance footage.
Chaffins is becoming concerned that the couple could be headed into some serious danger. He added that he is not sure where the couple is headed, and he thinks they are “just driving.” Chaffins also said that he is nervous that Hayes is going to end up getting Phillips injured and “she’s not going to return.”
According to WDRB, both of Phillips’ parents admitted that their daughter was a frequent liar and she could have lied about her age to Hayes at the beginning of their relationship. Hayes is already wanted for custodial inferences and is facing serious burglary and theft charges in Grayson County.
Chaffins expressed his urgency in locating the pair in a press release. He said that finding them is “imperative” since their behavior is growing more “brazen and dangerous.”
The teens could still be traveling, but no matter where they are or what they are doing, they could be facing charges in South Carolina when they are found. Manning police have “minor” forgery charges against the pair for forging a check, but Chief Shaffer said that their major goal is to get them back to Kentucky.
He added that they could “pursue criminal charges against them,” but they have to wait. Looking at the circumstances once the teens return will be play a role in deciding what to charge.
Lt. Smith of the Henry County Police Department said Friday that he is hoping someone will spot their vehicle and call 911. The couple has been missing for nearly two weeks.
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