79 Missing Children Recovered in Ohio Operation Involving Cleveland
Historic Ohio Operation Recovers 79 Missing Children
Authorities located or recovered 79 missing and endangered children during a monthlong operation across Ohio.
The U.S. Marshals Service announced the results of Operation Meridian on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The agency called it the largest missing-child operation in Ohio history. The children ranged in age from 6 to 17.
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Federal, state and local agencies worked together throughout August. Investigators focused on cases involving suspected sex trafficking, physical and emotional abuse, neglect, runaway children and other dangerous circumstances.
The operation included a significant Northeast Ohio presence. Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Bedford Police, Garfield Heights Police, Orange Village Police and Solon Police participated. Akron Police, the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and Youngstown Police also supported the effort.
Investigators followed leads across jurisdictional lines and located some children outside Ohio, including as far away as Georgia.
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Missing Children Found in Several Ohio Cases
One case involved two sisters, ages 13 and 16. Authorities said the girls had been reported missing at different times dating back to July 2024.
Investigators found the 13-year-old concealed inside a basement crawlspace beneath a bedroom closet floor in Lockbourne. Information gathered during that recovery helped authorities locate her 16-year-old sister later that day at a Columbus restaurant.
Another case involved a 16-year-old girl in Toledo who had previously been identified as a human trafficking victim. Authorities located the teenager with an adult man after investigators followed leads in Ohio and Michigan. The girl received medical care, while police continued investigating possible criminal activity.
Cleveland kidnapping survivor Amanda Berry also worked with authorities during Operation Meridian. U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said Berry spoke to the team before the operation and urged investigators to treat every missing child as if they were their own.
Authorities worked with Children and Family Services after the recoveries to connect children with medical care, counseling, family reunification services and other long-term support.
79 Missing Children Recovered in Ohio Operation Involving Cleveland was originally published on newstalkcleveland.com