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Two missing teens from Gaston County were found more than 300 miles away early Wednesday in Tennessee, police said.
The 13-year-old girl, identified by police only as Rachel C., and 16-year-old Sergei William Waelz of Bessemer City, were found in Cookeville, Tenn., police spokeswoman Donna Lahser said Wednesday. Both were found safe, and are fine, she said.
Sgt. Gene Weaver said the teens were stopped by Cookeville police around 3 a.m. Wednesday for some type of "suspicious behavior." They learned the teens had been listed as endangered runaways.
The teen girl was reported missing by her father around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, after authorities believed she ran away with Sergei, her boyfriend. Police said they believed the couple was traveling in a Ford Focus station wagon stolen from Sergei’s adoptive father.
Weaver said police don't know yet where the teens were headed. Sergei, who was adopted from Kazakhstan, took his passport with him and reportedly said he was wanted to go back to his home country.
Weaver said authorities are making arrangements to bring the teens back to Gaston.
