A missing Brooklyn teen was reunited with her family Thursday night, 23 days after she disappeared.
newsnet5.com is no longer identifying the teen because she is a victim of sexual assault.
The 15-year-old was brought home just before 7 p.m. Thursday, carrying a stuffed animal in her hand, and greeted with a Thanksgiving feast with family and friends.
"She requested turkey and cheese sticks," said Britt Ramsey, her stepdad. "Hey, you got it."
The teen disappeared from the backyard of her Brooklyn home on Nov. 8, sparking searches across several counties.
Family, friends, neighbors—even Michelle Knight and Gina Dejesus' family showed support.
"Stay strong," Knight encouraged everyone at a flashlight rally days after the teen vanished.
Tuesday, Brooklyn Police received a tip about a fake Facebook page and working with the Internet Crimes against Children task force, tracked the teen's location to a home in Missouri.
A search warrant led to the arrest of 41-year-old Chris Schroeder—and to the discovery of the 15-year-old, who was safe.
In a criminal complaint, Schroeder is accused of smashing her cell phone and tossing it in a river, and telling her to lose weight and change her appearance.
"It tugs my heart there are so many missing kids out there and the access these predators have is unbelievable," Ramsey said.
But Thursday night, with the Christmas tree lit and turkey in the oven, none of that seemed to matter much for now.
"I love her and she knows that," Ramsey said. "We're just going to hang out and not talk about any of the details."
Law enforcement, including Brooklyn Police, ICAC and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's office plan to discuss more details of the investigation at a news conference Friday at 10 a.m.
---
Follow Homa Bash on Facebook and Twitter
Download the newsnet5 app:
