A Dayton family arrived in Las Vegas on Monday to pick up their 16-year-old daughter who'd run away from home on Dec. 19.
Stepfather Peter Ott said he and his wife Dawn received word Saturday morning that daughter Rachel Reyes was safe and in custody in Las Vegas. She was being held in a juvenile detention facility after being stopped by police carrying fake ID.
Ott said officers told him Rachel was polite and respectful when questioned, but that she refused to reveal how, or with whom, she'd made her way to Las Vegas.
The Dayton High School junior had packed her things, left a note for her mother and disappeared six days before Christmas.
Ott said that after Rachel's disappearance, the family discovered she'd been planning the trip for a while.
He said he was grateful for all the support the community offered in their search.
"She has been found and now the challenge begins in how to deal with a teenage daughter who doesn't want to live at home," he said. "But to know that she's safe and going to be back in our custody is everything."
- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.