PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities have confirmed that an 11-year-old girl who went missing Wednesday night in Putnam County was not a victim of a crime.
Makayla Meyers was reported missing shortly after 6:30 p.m. after her parents told investigators she walked outside her home on Breeze Way Avenue, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said.
Just before 10:30 p.m., the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a missing child alert, saying they believed she was with a young adult male that she had possibly met on social media.
Shortly after midnight, the sheriff's office reported Meyers had been found safe and appeared to be unharmed.
The sheriff's office said that it appears Meyers left the home on her own, possibly to see someone.
The child did not have any prior history of running away and this is the first call law enforcement received about her.
The case is still under investigation but authorities said they do not believe the person she was communicating with was in Florida, but have not confirmed this information.
Putnam County authorities want to remind parents to be vigilant in what children, especially preteens and teens are using in terms of apps and social media.
Meyers reportedly had multiple social media accounts but no phone of her own. She was getting on social media platforms through other sources such as using her parents' phone, according to officers.
The sheriff's office said just because a child doesn't have a phone doesn't mean they do not have a social media presence.
