Missing South Carolina teen Mackenzie Dalton found safe after monthlong search leads to arrest
A South Carolina teenager reported missing late last year has been found safe, and a man has been arrested in the case, authorities said.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office said Mackenzie Dalton, 16, was found in Lexington County following an investigation into her disappearance.
Deputies said there is no indication Dalton was ever held against her will or with someone she did not want to be with.
Dalton was reported missing after she was last seen leaving her home in late November, according to a Jan. 2 statement from the sheriff’s office. At the time, authorities said she was considered an endangered juvenile due to her age and the length of the time she had been gone.
Investigators previously said they believed Dalton may have been with a man she knew, although authorities did not release the man’s identity.
The sheriff’s office said the vehicle Dalton drove away in and the suitcase she took from her home were recovered during the investigation. The teen was described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 118 pounds.
Deputies arrested Mackenzie Keith English Jr., 18, charging him with obstruction of justice, during their investigation.
Authorities accuse English of lying to investigators about being with Dalton and about his knowledge of her whereabouts.
English is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said.
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