Andover runaway Brittany R.Cooper was located Thursday evening outside of Austin, Texas.
At approximately 6:05 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, the Andover runaway was located and taken into protective custody custody by members of the Austin Police Department's Organized Crime & Human Trafficking Unit just outside of Austin.
Through an intense 3-day cooperative investigation between members of the Andover Police Department, the Wichita/Sedgwick Count Exploited & Missing Children's Unit, the Augusta Police Department, and with assistance from an investigator with the Wichita area Intrust Bank, Cooper was tracked down and located in an apartment in Travis County, just north of Austin.
At the same time that Brittany was taken into custody, Gerald E.James, aka Jerry James, aka "AJ," was apprehended and arrested on a felony warrant for "contributing to a child's misconduct or deprivation." James was booked into the Austin Jail and was being held on $100,000 Kansas bond. The Austin Police Department's Exploited & Missing Children's Unit is also on the case and investigating the possibility of additional charges in Texas.
Andover Police Chief Mike Keller said her discovery was a cooperative effort of law enforcement agencies working together.
"This is just another example of local law enforcement agencies, even across state lines, working together to bring about successful outcome.
“We are all just thrilled that we were able to locate Brittney in a timely manner and return her home safely,” said Chief Keller.
