DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – Dearborn Heights police released more details after a 16-year-old was found in an older man’s apartment on Wednesday after she had been missing for more than a month.
The teen was found in an apartment near Warren and Inkster at about 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, after she reportedly ran away from Vista Maria, a treatment facility for girls, on March 14.
A 62-year-old man was taken into custody. Police initially said the man was in his 50s right after they made the arrest, and then said he was 65 during a press conference on Thursday, April 24, but later confirmed that the man is 62.
During the press conference, Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar also revealed more details about finding the teen.
You can watch the full press conference in the video at the top of this article.
After being found, the teen was taken to the police station and then to the Children’s Hospital for a sexual assault kit, but they haven’t received the results yet.
She has since been turned over to Child Protective Services, and her family has been notified.
Haidar said they will submit the case to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for “numerous” charges.
The chief said they believe the teen had been with the man since March 17, and don’t believe she knew him before that day. The teen was allegedly walking around near Joy and Inkster roads when she met the man.
Haidar said he gave the teen a place to stay and money.
“I believe this is a little child that had nowhere to go, that was lost,” Haidar said. “She didn’t have a telephone. She didn’t have a cell phone. He provided her a cell phone to use, but he only allowed her to use it when he was present.”
The chief also said he believes there was sexual contact between the teen and the man, based on some of the evidence collected at the apartment.
A factor of the case that the chief found disturbing was that, when detectives were out canvassing the area during the search for the teen, the man they arrested had been one of the people they interviewed, and he denied seeing her. Police said the man has no criminal history, but won’t release more information until charges are issued.
Police also found a wish list that the teen had written while at the apartment, in which she wrote that she wanted to move out of the state, buy a car and get a job.
When asked if the teen would go back to Vista Maria at some point, Haidar said: “No chance of that.”
The chief said there have been ongoing issues with the facility, with teens often leaving.
“They advertise it’s a locked facility, it isn’t,” said Haidar. “You know, there are juveniles that leave that facility all the time. There have been times where they pull the fire alarm, and they escape through the woods and end up in the city of Detroit. So, there could be numerous ways that they got out of that facility, but it’s not a locked facility.”
Haidar said his officers spend too much time at Vista Maria, and previously said that in 2024 alone, there were over 300 calls for service at the facility.
Haidar said that Vista Maria has reached out to meet with the department to discuss how they can address the challenges and better secure the facility.
Here’s the statement Vista Maria released after the teen was found:
“All of us at Vista Maria are relieved and grateful that [Name Removed] has been found and is safe and receiving support. Our thanks go out to the many law enforcement agencies that worked hard to find her, especially the Dearborn Heights Police Department. We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, including the many tips that helped the police in their search. Vista Maria stands ready to support [Name Removed] and her family in any way we can in the future.”
Vista Maria Spokesperson
The chief said there are two open investigations involving sexual contact between a former male staff member and two teen residents within the last several months, one of which involves the 16-year-old that was just found.
Police also said the teen had been seen with two other “Johns,” and they have identified one of those people as a man in his 30s, but haven’t identified the other yet.
During the investigation, several former Vista Maria residents came forward with allegations of abuse.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released the following statement on April 24, 2025:
“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is deeply committed to ensuring the health and safety of youth at licensed child care facilities and child placing agencies. When allegations of licensing violations are received, the MDHHS Division of Child Welfare Licensing investigates all allegations and holds the licensing agency responsible for corrective actions. MDHHS staff is performing ongoing safety checks on the youth currently placed at the facility to assess their well-being and is in weekly contact with Vista Maria staff.”
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
The investigation is ongoing, and more details will be revealed as the case moves forward.
