79 MISSING CHILDREN FOUND ACROSS OHIO — INCLUDING A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL HIDDEN BENEATH A CLOSET FLOOR

Nearly 80 missing and endangered children have been found across Ohio — and one case involved a 13-year-old girl discovered hidden beneath the floor of a bedroom closet.

The U.S. Marshals Service announced that 79 children between the ages of 6 and 17 were located during Operation Meridian, a statewide law-enforcement effort conducted throughout August.

Officials described it as the largest missing-child operation in Ohio history.

But behind the headline number are dozens of individual cases — involving allegations or concerns ranging from suspected trafficking and abuse to neglect, runaway situations and other forms of endangerment.

And some of the recoveries were deeply disturbing.

A GIRL FOUND BENEATH A CLOSET FLOOR

Among the cases was that of two sisters, ages 13 and 16, who had been reported missing in July 2024 and April 2026.

Investigators working with the Columbus Police Department followed leads that eventually took them to a home in Lockbourne.

There, authorities found the 13-year-old concealed in a basement crawlspace beneath the floor of a bedroom closet.

The girls’ mother was arrested on an outstanding Franklin County probation-violation warrant.

Information obtained during that recovery helped investigators locate the 16-year-old later that same day at a restaurant in Columbus.

ANOTHER 16-YEAR-OLD WAS FOUND WITH AN ADULT MAN

In a separate case, a 16-year-old girl who had previously been reported as a potential human-trafficking victim was reported missing in Toledo on August 18.

Investigators followed leads across Ohio and into Michigan before identifying an adult man the girl might be with.

Authorities eventually located both of them at an address on Woodward Avenue in Toledo.

The teenager was provided medical care and taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Police are continuing to investigate potential criminal activity connected to the case.

THE SEARCH WENT BEYOND OHIO

Operation Meridian was not limited to a single city.

U.S. Marshals worked with federal, state and local agencies across Ohio, with investigators following leads that extended as far as Georgia and Michigan.

Participating agencies included the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, local police departments, sheriff’s offices and other specialized units.

The goal was not simply to locate children listed as missing — but to identify those believed to be in situations of danger and get them to safety.

FINDING THEM WAS ONLY THE FIRST STEP

Officials stressed that recovery does not end the investigation.

Children who were located were connected with medical, psychological and social-service organizations where needed, including trauma-informed counseling, family-reunification services and longer-term case management.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said every recovered child represented “a life pulled back from danger.”

Amanda Berry, who was abducted and held captive in Cleveland for roughly a decade before escaping in 2013, also spoke to investigators involved in the operation and urged them to treat every missing child as if they were their own.

79 RECOVERIES — 79 DIFFERENT STORIES

The number 79 may be the statistic making headlines.

But investigators emphasize that these were not 79 identical cases.

Some children were reported as runaways. Others were considered endangered because of suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation. Some cases involved possible trafficking.

And in several investigations, authorities are still examining what happened and whether criminal charges are warranted.

For the families involved, however, the most important part of the operation may be much simpler:

After months — and in some cases years — of uncertainty, 79 children were found.

And the search is not over.