Missing youths awaiting return

The father of a missing Perry County boy said he was relieved his son was found Monday in Florida after running away last week with his 12-year-old girlfriend.

"They finally got them," Jerod Lundmark said Monday.

The two Perryville, Mo., children Brandon Lundmark, 14, and Brianna Williams, 12, were in a juvenile detention center in Santa Rosa County, Fla., Monday after police found them in a Milton, Fla., residence.

Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf said Monday the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department located the vehicle used by the two runaway juveniles at the residence.

Sheriff Gary Schaaf said the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Department contacted him about 8 a.m. Monday saying they had the two youths in custody. A Santa Rosa County deputy spotted the truck, a 2002 Z-71 Chevrolet pickup truck, and followed the youths into a driveway where they were taken into custody, Schaaf said.

Brianna Williams

"As far as I know they cooperated," Schaaf said, adding that he believes the children were in good health.

Schaaf did not have any information about who owned the residence or why the children were there.

"I don't know if it's an apartment or a house," he said.

Both runaways were taken to a juvenile detention facility. Juvenile authorities will decide if they should be charged, the sheriff said. When they will be returned to Missouri has not yet been determined.

According to a press release from the Perry County Sheriff's Department the vehicle -- taken from Brandon Lundmark's father March 19 -- will be moved to a tow lot in Milton. Brandon and Brianna will be remain at a juvenile detention facility until Missouri juvenile authorities can arrange their transfer back to Perryville.

Jerod Lundmark has said Brandon was grounded prior to his departure for taking his father's vehicle and going to Brianna's house.

Brianna's family members could not be reached for comment Monday.

Police say Brandon took his father's pickup truck, cash and an ATM card about midnight March 19 and left the area after picking up Brianna.

Before leaving, Schaaf said, Brandon placed telephones out of reach of his father, who is a paraplegic. The truck was specially outfitted so the father could drive it. Notes left behind by Brandon for his father said he wanted to go out on his own, Schaaf said.

Schaaf said there was no indication Brianna did not go willingly with Brandon. Santa Rosa County police also released no information about a gun that was supposedly in the truck when Brandon fled.

carel@semissourian.com

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