A routine traffic stop in Florida took a shocking turn when deputies discovered a teenage girl who had been missing for weeks sitting inside the vehicle, authorities say.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy pulled over a car Sunday, March 8, for speeding along U.S. 17 South near Crescent City.
But what started as a simple traffic violation quickly raised red flags.
Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office shows the driver identifying himself as 37-year-old Joshua Magraff from Charlotte, North Carolina. When the deputy asked about the young girl sitting in the passenger seat, Magraff claimed she was his 16-year-old cousin.
The situation quickly grew suspicious.
When the deputy asked the girl for her name, she hesitated several times before saying her name was “Brandy Lewis.” She then told the deputy she was born in 2013 — which would make her just 12 years old.
Authorities say she then gave two additional names and birthdates, raising serious concerns about her safety.
The deputy separated the girl from Magraff and had her sit in the patrol car. Once alone, she finally revealed her real identity.
After running her information, deputies discovered the teen had been reported missing from North Carolina nearly a month earlier.
Investigators contacted the girl’s mother, who said she did not know Magraff and had reported her daughter missing on February 16.
When confronted again, Magraff reportedly changed his story, now claiming the teen wasn’t his cousin but simply a “friend.”
The deputy then asked the obvious question.
“You’re 37 and you’re friends with a 16-year-old girl?” the officer said.
Magraff allegedly responded by claiming he believed the girl was 19 years old and said the two were in Florida to “play gambling games.”
During a search of the vehicle, deputies say they found several illegal items, including 19 counterfeit $100 bills, synthetic marijuana, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The teen was taken into the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families while arrangements were made for her to be reunited with her mother.
Magraff was arrested and booked into the Putnam County Jail.
Authorities say he now faces multiple charges, including interference with child custody, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of counterfeit currency, possession of synthetic marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is currently being held on a $9,000 bond as the investigation continues.