MITCHELL – An Owensburg teen faces charges after police say he helped a female runaway.
Police arrested 18-year-old Jyle Hensley on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
On June 5, 2024, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputy Anthony Pope received a report at 6:30 a.m. that a female teen had left home in Mitchell without permission. Her parents were on their way to the department to make a report. They arrived at 7:10 a.m.
They told police that on June 4, around 5:45 a.m., the family realized their daughter was not in her bedroom.
The parents told police she might be with a male in Columbus or with 18-year-old Jyle Hensley.
The parents left the station and went looking for their daughter. On June 5th at 10:00 a.m., the father called and said he had located his daughter in Greene County, Scotland, and had called 911. Greene County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Indiana State Troopers arrived shortly after. The female was found hiding in the back seat under several coats.
The driver, Jyle Hensley, was also detained.
Greene County Detective Elmore reported Hensley told police he had received messages from the female saying she wanted to leave her home because she was tired of being there.
The runaway informed police that she left home around 1:00 a.m. on June 4. She said her father had screwed her window screens shut to prevent her from opening them, so she cut the screen, removed some screws, and had Hensley pick her up down the road from her house.
The father told police he had screwed the windows in place to prevent his daughter from leaving due to her attempting to run away before.
The Department of Child Services was also alerted to investigate the incident.
After questioning, Hensley was released, and the information was forwarded to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, and a warrant was issued for Hensley’s arrest on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
