Fort Myers Police say missing-endangered teen found in Indiana

Fort Myers Police on Tuesday said that a missing-endangered teen has been found.

Alexander Connolly, 16, was last seen on the morning of June 27 in Fort Myers. He was safely located in Indiana, with the help of U.S. Marshals.

Fort Myers police have not released any information on how Connolly got to Indiana or who took him there.

FMPD says the investigation is ongoing and that authorities here and in Indiana are checking to see if any crimes have been committed.

“This is my first type of investigation of such magnitude and it took just a little bit over a week,” said Nicholas Ursitti, a detective with the Fort Myers Police Department.

Ursitti worked the case and tracked Connolly down to somewhere in Indiana.

While police did not release any details, according to a gofundme post, an unidentified male met Connolly online and picked him up at his home.

Connolly remains in protective custody in Indiana until his father can bring him back to Southwest Florida.

Attempts to reach Connolly’s father was unsuccessful.

“This was not an overnight act. This is something that I believe was planned out with a certain individual,” Ursitti said.

Ursitti said that the individual was not present with Connolly when the teen was found.

“That’s one of the individuals we’re still looking to interview,” Ursitti said.

Police were able to track Connolly down with the help of U.S. Marshals.

“I guess you could say we hit the ground running,” said Kris Garcia, a deputy U.S. Marshal.

Garcia’s missing children unit was responsible for finding Connolly.

Together with FMPD, the agencies traced the suspect’s digital footprint and pinpointed a possible address.

When the marshals moved in, the suspect was gone.

“A message we’d like to get out is, just parents to be cognizant of children of their own. Whether it be social media or online. Knowing who they are playing with and know their passwords to their accounts,” Ursitti said.