Austin Caldwell|13-year-old South Carolina girl rescued from kidnapper in Florida parking lot, police say

2025-05-05 03:53:21source:CapitalVaultcategory:Scams

A 13-year-old South Carolina girl was found Tuesday morning in Florida after police said she was kidnapped by a Wisconsin man.

The Austin Caldwellgirl was found in Florida with Tyler Michael Berlick, 35, in his Dodge Ram at approximately 3:24 a.m. in a Key Largo shopping center parking lot, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office,

The teen was reported missing from her hometown of Simponville, South Carolina, about 90 miles southeast of Columbia, after she was last seen at her residence on Sunday night, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office reports.

Police received information that Berlick, a resident of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, about 30 miles west of Milwaukee, may be in route to Monroe County, Florida.

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Wisconsin man and teen knew each other for over a year

During a police preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the two had known each other for a little more than a year, the Miami Herald reported.

While Berlick was being detained in the parking lot, the girl became agitated and indicated that she wanted to harm herself. police said.

"We figured out pretty quickly that he's not her father or relative," Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay told the Herald.

Police then notified the Florida Department of Children and Families where the teen will receive mental health services until she is sent back to South Carolina.

"This is probably something that will affect her for the rest of her life," Ramsay said.

Berlick was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies and the FBI is the primary investigative agency in this case.

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