JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Lake City couple has been charged after allegedly harboring a missing teenager, even after deputies came to their home several homes.
James Kite, 39 and Robin Kite, 39, were charged with depriving custody of a minor child.
According to a report from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, on Aug. 17, deputies responded to a report of a missing 17-year-old girl
Deputies made contact with the mother of the 17-year-old who said that the last time she saw her daughter was the night prior, before she went to work.
Police were able to obtain phone records for the 17-year-old which led them to the Kite's residence. At this time, it's unclear their relationship with the teen, but the incident report indicates that they were known to her since a young age.
The 17-year-old advised police that the three times law enforcement searched the home of the Kites, the teen was hiding underneath a bed in a shed.
She told police that Robin Kite even mentioned that when she was young "she has run away before, and so she knew how to help her."
The couple later stated that they were trying to help the teen and thought they were doing what was best.
The report is largely reacted, so it's unclear why the teen ran away in the first place.