'I'm Overwhelmed, We've Been Praying Daily' Missing Wisconsin Teen Found Alive; Escaped from Captor

Aimee Herd : Jan 11, 2019
Fox News

"Praise the Lord! It's the news we've been waiting on for three months. I can't wait to get my arms around her. I just can't wait." -Sue Allard, Closs' aunt.

(Barron County, WI) Relatives of a 13-year-old girl, missing since October, 2018, had their prayers answered Thursday, when Jayme Closs managed to escape her captors and run for help. (Photo: Jayme Closs/Barron Co. Sheriff's Department)

According to a Fox News report, the teen had been abducted after her parents were murdered in their home; she'd been missing since October 15th last fall.

The report states that Jayme's captor had left her alone and she was able to flag down a passing dog walker, telling her she "wanted help."

The dog walker (who wished to remain anonymous) knocked on the nearby door of Peter Kasinskas, saying, "This is Jayme Closs! Call 911!"

Jayme was found about 65 miles from her home from which she had vanished. She was said to look "skinny and dirty, with matted hair" and wearing men's shoes that were "too big for her," according to the Star Tribune.

The Douglas County sheriff noted that a suspect had been arrested on Thursday, just "minutes" after the teen was found. An update during a press conference on Friday morning detailed the suspect as 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson. He was reportedly charged with "two counts of first-degree homicide in the murder of Closs' parents and one count of kidnapping," according to the Fox News report. (Image: Police mugshot of Jake Thomas Patterson/via Fox News)

Jayme was examined at a hospital Thursday night, and afterwards, was reunited with relatives.

"Praise the Lord," Sue Allard, Closs' aunt, said. "It's the news we've been waiting on for three months. I can't wait to get my arms around her. I just can't wait."

The Mayor of Barron, Ron Fladten, fought back tears as he said, "I'm overwhelmed, we've been praying daily for a long time that we'd have Jayme returned safely to our community, and I guess you can tell by the emotion in my voice, this is really a big deal!" Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here