Dalton Renollet, 36, of Maricopa, Arizona, is pictured in a booking photo following his arrest in South Dakota for allegedly abducting a missing 15-year-old Wyoming girl. (Davison County Sheriff's Office)
MARICOPA, Ariz. - A Maricopa man is behind bars after police say he traveled across state lines to abduct a 15-year-old girl he "groomed" online.
What we know:
Dalton Renollet, 36, was arrested in South Dakota on Monday afternoon, less than five hours after the Wyoming teenager was reported missing. Authorities say the quick rescue was made possible after multi-state police agencies used license plate reader technology to track down the suspect's car.
According to the Crook County Sheriff's Office, investigators in Sundance, Wyo., were already looking into reports that an out-of-state adult was grooming the teen online. When she vanished Monday morning around 10 a.m., state police and the FBI immediately stepped in to help find her.
Investigators initially suspected Renollet was driving back home to Arizona through Utah. However, automated license plate readers caught his car traveling east into South Dakota instead.
Wyoming authorities alerted South Dakota state troopers, who spotted the vehicle on Interstate 90 near the Aurora County line — 415 miles from the teen's home. Officers pulled Renollet over and rescued the girl at about 2:30 p.m., less than an hour after receiving the tip.
What's next:
Renollet is facing charges of sexual contact with a minor in South Dakota, with more criminal charges pending in Wyoming and federal court. He remained held in a Davison County, S.D., jail on Friday, awaiting a Sept. 30 arraignment.
What they're saying:
"A 15-year-old abducted and traumatized girl has been brought to safety by the excellent work of law enforcement. This incident demonstrates how valuable technology can be in protecting the public and assisting officers to locate a vulnerable juvenile and bring her to safety within an hour," said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley.
Crook County Sheriff Jeff Hodge added, "This is the second investigation involving the suspected grooming of a juvenile within the past month in Crook County. These incidents demonstrate that online activities can quickly progress from electronic communication to extremely serious criminal conduct. Parents are encouraged to remain involved in their children’s online activity, know who they are communicating with, and take concerns or changes in behavior seriously. Protecting our children requires awareness not only from law enforcement, but from parents, schools and our entire community."
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Crook County Sheriff's Office, the Davison County Sheriff's Office and the South Dakota Attorney General's Office.