A 21-year-old Missouri man has been arrested and charged in the August 2015 disappearance of a Miami teen.
"When she disappeared, my mom was going crazy. We all were going crazy, the whole family," said Michelle Vargas, sister.
Miami Police, in a collaborative effort with the Greene County Sheriff's Office in Missouri, discovered that 21-year-old Frank Krogh of Greene County, purchased a bus ticket for the 15-year-old Miami girl, which she used to travel from Miami to Missouri.
"It was paid by the suspect up in Greene County. What I did was coordinated with Greene County detectives and they were able to apprehend the suspect and bring the girl into custody," said Det. Walter Sarrifiore with Miami Police.
Greene County sheriff's deputies responded to the home and arrested Krogh. Deputies also arrested a member of Krogh's family who police said assaulted detectives during the apprehension.
Missouri officials charged Krogh with felony statutory rape and endangering the welfare of a child. A Greene County, Missouri judge ordered him held on $10,000 bond. Both Krogh and his family member remain in jail. It is not known if either of them have hired an attorney.
Krogh may face additional charges in South Florida, according to authorities.
Relatives at the teen's home, located in the 1300 block of Northwest 27th Street in Miami, told NBC 6 the teen reportedly met Krogh on the internet.
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"She met him online supposedly. We had no idea who the guy was. We still don't know who the guy is," Vargas said.
Relatives said the teen is still in Missouri at a juvenile detention center being interviewed by detectives. The family will travel to Missouri this week to bring her back to South Florida, at which time she will be interviewed by authorities here.
The family tells NBC 6 that they are relieved at the outcome of the situation.
"I'm just happy that my sister is alive," Vargas says.
