Man charged with kidnapping 3 Ohio children, driving them to Beach Park
BEACH PARK, Ill. (CBS) – A man is facing kidnapping charges after driving three minors from Ohio to Beach Park over the weekend.
Michael Negron, 19, is charged with one count of kidnapping and three counts of child endangerment.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies located Negron along with the missing Juveniles – two girls, 12 and 14, and a boy, 15, at a gas station in the area of Lewis Avenue and Wadsworth Road.
Around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, The Lake County Sheriff's Office received a call from a parent of one of the missing juveniles who tracked one of the phones to the 10600 block of West Yorkhouse Road in Beach Park.
Lake County officials learned Negron was driving a Ford Mustang and left Middleton with the children around 10:30 p.m. Friday night.
Negron was arrested at the gas station and transported to the Lake County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division.
The juveniles were all taken to safety at the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center.
Further investigation revealed Negron was communicating with the 12-year-old girl for several weeks on Fortnite, Snapchat, and other social media platforms.
Negron drove the Middleton, Ohio area on Wednesday and stayed at a hotel. It is believed he interacted with the three juveniles several times during his stay.
One of the children texted their parent a description of the car they were in, which helped the sheriff's office search for and locate Negron and the juveniles.
Officials say it is unclear what exactly Negron's intentions were with the children.
Sheriff John D. Idleburg said, "It is an unfortunate reality, but there are predators among us who prey on children. Many of these predators use social media applications to initially meet a child and build trust with them. After that trust is built, they convince the child to meet. It is incredibly important to look at your children's electronics to see what applications they are using, who they are communicating with, and what they are saying."
Negron remains held in the Lake County Jail pending an initial court hearing Sunday. Additional charges are possible.
