Where was Ella Jones found? Michigan man Keith Freerksen arrested after missing Washington teen located nearly a month after disappearance

Ella Jones, a runaway 14-year-old from Washington State missing for nearly a month, was reportedly found living with Keith Freerksen, a registered s*x offender, in a South Haven, Michigan, home this week.

Jones' mother reported her child missing on January 6, 2024, after she left her home, leaving a cryptic note behind that, according to her mother, partly read, “She loved me and that she didn’t want to hurt us anymore.”

Since her disappearance, Ella’s mom has been relentlessly trying to track her daughter, whom she believed was in danger as the teen was caught talking to an older man online. Per multiple reports, the teen’s mother, Sarah Merill, had also punished her daughter earlier by taking away her phone after she was caught interacting with an older man on the internet.

Nearly a month after the disappearance, Ella Jones was located more than 2,000 miles away at the home of 30-year-old Keith Freerksen in South Haven, Michigan, ABC 13 reported.

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Keith Freerksen ordered a ride-share for Ella Jones on the night of her disappearance

Keith Freerksen( Image via David Rose X)

ABC 13, citing police sources, reported The Mount Vernon Police Department, which believes Ella Jones voluntarily left her home, discovered she used ride-share services ordered by a man named Keith on January 5. In a press release on X, the department said:

"Mount Vernon has limited ride-share options, so investigators were able to locate a particular ride that Ella may have taken.”

Armed with this information, police were able to track down a suspect named, Keith Freerksen, a registered s*x offender, to an address in South Haven, Michigan. The Department added:

"Investigators were able to identify the subject ‘Keith’ who ordered that ride share for her and his address in South Haven, Michigan."

Police said there is sufficient evidence to charge the suspect, Keith Freerksen, with second-degree kidnapping as he transported the teen across state lines.

ABC 13 reported Keith Freerksen, who has a previous conviction of possession of child pornography out of Florida dating back to 2017, is also facing multiple s*xual crime charges that span many states.

The station reported as soon as police found the missing teen, they called her parents, who were elated to be reunited with their daughter. In a Press release, Lt. Dave Shackleton of the Mount Vernon Police Department said:

"Locating {her} safely is directly attributed to the family, friends and many who showed concern and compassion for her well-being. It's also directly attributed to our Federal, State, and Local Law enforcement partners who helped when investigative leaders went beyond our jurisdictional boundaries or abilities.”

According to Fox 13 Seattle, Freerksen is now facing charges in Michigan for first-degree criminal s*xual conduct, s*x offender-failure to comply with registration act, and children – contributing to delinquency.