Two men have been charged in connection with the disappearance of a missing teenager from Harnett County, who was safely located in Currituck County early this morning.
According to Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats, the suspects, 31-year-old Elihue Mahler of Virginia Beach and Austyn Cole of Kitty Hawk, face multiple charges, including human trafficking of a child victim, felony kidnapping, and felony conspiracy to kidnap.
The case began when a statewide Amber Alert was issued for the 15-year-old girl after she was reported missing. Her mother had posted on Facebook that the teen was last seen around 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday in Spring Lake.
The arrests were made following an extensive investigation that involved reviewing social media accounts and analyzing cellular data. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) played a crucial role in tracking down the suspects.
Currituck County deputies, assisted by their SWAT team, conducted a search at a home on Poor Ridge Road, where they arrested Cole. During the operation, authorities learned that Mahler was returning to the area. Deputies coordinated a vehicle interception, successfully executing a takedown that led to Mahler’s arrest. The missing teenager was safely recovered at the scene.
Both Mahler and Cole have been booked into custody and are being held under $1,000,000 secured bonds.
The FBI clarified that this case is unrelated to a separate Amber Alert issued in Chatham County on the same day. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.
