Lafayette runaway found; 20-year-old arrested, police say

Lafayette police worked with Nebraska police to find a 13-year-old Lafayette girl allegedly with a 20-year-old man who has since been arrested and faces several charges here that include kidnapping and trafficking.

On June 14, Lafayette officers investigated a runaway call, according to a news release June 21. They learned she had been in contact with Kyle Miotke of Elizabeth, Colorado.

Detectives alerted the Nebraska State Patrol that the girl may be traveling through the state with Miotke in a Ford F-150. On Wednesday, June 15, a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol found the vehicle traveling on Interstate 80 near Kearney, Nebraska, police said.

During a traffic stop, the trooper found the missing girl in the pickup truck. Miotke was arrested on local charges in Nebraska for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said.

An arrest warrant through Tippecanoe County was issued for Miotke. He is charged with Promotion of Sexual Trafficking of a Younger Child, Kidnapping where the victim is less than 14 years of age, Performing Sexual Conduct in the Presence of a Minor, Inappropriate Communication with a Child, and Dissemination of Matter Harmful to Minors, according to the release. He is in Nebraska awaiting extradition to the Tippecanoe County Jail.

This investigation was a collaborative effort involving local agencies in Tippecanoe County, including the High Tech Crime Unit, and the Nebraska State Patrol, who troopers found the vehicle within 10 minutes of receiving the information.