BEAUMONT, Texas — A 44-year-old man who helped search for a missing 14-year-old Vidor girl by handing out fliers is now behind bars after police say he was hiding her in a Beaumont home.
The 14-year-old Vidor girl, who was missing for more than three weeks, is now safe and with family.
The teen, who police have described as a runaway, was found on Thursday, December 8, 2022, with John David Allen, 44, in a Beaumont home according to a Vidor Police news release.
Police say they talked to Allen, who helped hand out missing person fliers, told them during the search that he did not know where she was.
Allen was arrested by Vidor officers with help from Orange and Jefferson County deputies and Child Protective Services at about 11:15 a.m. Thursday at the home in the 3500 block of 10th St. in Beaumont according to police.
Police were acting on a tip when they found Allen and the runaway girl in the home the release said,
Allen is currently being held in the Jefferson County Correctional Facility where his charge is listed on jail records as "harboring a runaway."
His arrest is directly connected to the teen's disappearance, Vidor Police Chief Rod Carroll tells 12News Friday morning.
Allen's bond has been set at $50,000.
Police in Vidor had been looking for the 14-year-old girl since she was reported missing from her home.
The girl was reported to have last been seen on November 21, 2022, riding a red Honda dirt bike according to the post.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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