Florida teen rescued in New Jersey after weeks-long search led by FBI
A 16-year-old from Florida who vanished in late July was located in New Jersey by federal agents, and her father announced she is safe.
On July 31, 16-year-old Sophia Veronica Cover left her residence in Golden Gate Estates, Florida, as shown by home-surveillance footage. Her father, Rick Cover, launched a wide-reaching search effort, enlisting social media, flyers and tips from strangers. The case drew the involvement of the FBI, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Detective Marisol Rodriguez.
Authorities located Sophia more than 1,200 miles away in New Jersey, where she was staying with friends. Rick Cover posted on Facebook that his daughter is safe and expressed gratitude to law-enforcement and the thousands who shared her story. He plans to fly to New Jersey as soon as possible and is awaiting guidance from the Department of Children and Families about how she traveled that distance.
Why it matters
The rescue shows how coordinated law-enforcement and public outreach can locate missing youths across state lines.
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