Missing Missouri Teen Found in Sex Offender's Closet in Colorado

A 16-year-old Missouri girl missing since December was found alive in the Colorado home of Maximilian Bondrescu, a registered sex offender, after she managed to send a distress message via Instagram that enabled police to track her location. Investigators discovered the girl hiding in a closet during a search of Bondrescu's residence, where she told authorities she had been held against her will. Bondrescu reportedly met the girl online, rented a car to pick her up in Missouri, and drove her to Colorado while avoiding toll roads to evade detection. During her captivity, Bondrescu forced her to work for his snow removal company, requiring her to wear a mask to hide her identity and age. Bondrescu was arrested and faces multiple charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault on a child, false imprisonment, child abuse, and failure to register as a sex offender. Authorities credited cybercrime detectives for their work in rescuing the teen and stated they will collaborate with the district attorney to pursue justice.