EAST RIDGE, TN — Authorities say a missing 13-year-old girl from Lee County, Florida, was safely found in East Ridge after a license plate reader alert helped police identify a vehicle tied to the case. Investigators say the girl had been missing from her Fort Myers home since Sept. 18.
Lee County officials say the man found with the teen is 28-year-old Michah Mosier, who they now describe as a Tennessee resident. Mosier is being held in the Hamilton County Jail as investigators continue working to piece together how the girl ended up in East Ridge.
License plate readers led officers to the vehicle near an I-75 exit ramp
East Ridge police say the search accelerated after the FBI sent an Automated License Plate Reader alert about a vehicle believed to be carrying the girl. The license plate was detected at an intersection near an I-75 exit ramp, giving officers a precise area to search.
Within minutes, officers from East Ridge and Chattanooga were checking the area. Police say they were able to stop the vehicle quickly and safely, preventing the situation from continuing longer than necessary.
Inside the vehicle, officers found the missing teen and Mosier. Police said he was not related to the girl. He was arrested without incident, according to East Ridge Police.
Lee County investigators say evidence pointed them to Michah Mosier
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says evidence gathered during its investigation into the girl’s disappearance led detectives to track Mosier. Officials now say he is a Tennessee resident, although they have not said exactly where in the state he lives.
That update adds a new layer to a case that began in Southwest Florida and then crossed state lines into Tennessee. The investigation remains active, and authorities have not released additional details about what happened between the time the girl was reported missing and the moment officers found her in East Ridge.
For now, the focus appears to be on determining Mosier’s role and how the vehicle came to be traveling in the Chattanooga area with the child inside.
Police say the child was removed from a dangerous situation
East Ridge Police Chief Clint Uselton said the case shows how useful automatic license plate reader technology can be when officers are trying to locate a missing child. He said that once the suspect vehicle was identified in the community, officers moved quickly in a coordinated response.
Uselton said that response led to the child being removed from what he described as a dangerous situation. Police have not publicly detailed the exact circumstances inside the vehicle, but they said the girl was found safely.
The chief’s comments underline why local police and federal investigators often rely on rapid alerts when a missing child is believed to be traveling through another state.
The girl had been missing from Fort Myers since Sept. 18
Lee County officials say the 13-year-old disappeared from her home in Fort Myers on Sept. 18. Her disappearance triggered a wider search effort that eventually stretched from Florida to Tennessee.
The fact that the girl was found in East Ridge indicates investigators were dealing with a multi-state case that required coordination between local police, the FBI, and Florida authorities. Police say that coordination is what allowed them to move so quickly once the license plate reader alert came in.
Authorities have not said why the girl was in the vehicle or where the pair had traveled before reaching East Ridge. Those questions remain part of the active investigation.
Officials say the multi-state investigation is still active
Police have not released a full account of what led to Mosier’s arrest or whether additional charges are possible. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office and East Ridge Police are still gathering information as the case develops.
What is clear so far is that the child was found alive after a fast-moving response in East Ridge. Investigators say the plate reader alert, the prompt police response, and the coordination between agencies all played a role in ending the search.
Authorities say they expect to keep releasing updates as more details become available. For now, the teen is safe and the case remains under active review across state lines.
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