A child reported missing from Mesa, Arizona, in May was located on June 25 inside a sprawling Olympia homeless encampment known locally as “the Jungle,” according to federal authorities. The recovery followed a tip that the juvenile could be at heightened risk of commercial sexual exploitation.
A deputy who specializes in missing-children cases developed the lead after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children notified the U.S. Marshals on June 18. Marshals then canvassed the 3200 block of Martin Way East and ultimately found the child on June 25, according to The Olympian. The child was turned over to the Olympia Police Department and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families for medical care and victim assistance.
In a statement reported by KIRO 7 News, Donrien Stephens, acting U.S. marshal for the Western District of Washington, said, “Protecting our nation's children is of the highest importance.” Marshals coordinated with the Washington State Department of Corrections during the search. Officials have not said whether the child was trafficked or abducted.
What Officials Say About The Jungle
The Jungle stretches between Martin Way East and Pacific Avenue Southeast and has long been a flashpoint for violence and public-safety worries. The City of Olympia reports that roughly 200 people live at the encampment and that leaders are “developing a phased approach to reduce the population at the encampment,” while a final closure timeline has not been set, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.
Wider Context: Trafficking Risks And Recoveries
The U.S. Marshals said the tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children raised concerns about possible sex trafficking in Washington state and noted the agency’s long history of helping locate missing kids. Reporting from KIRO 7 News states that the Marshals have assisted in the recovery of thousands of missing children since 2015. Experts urge anyone who suspects trafficking to call 9-1-1.
Officials have not released the juvenile’s name or any further identifying details while the case remains under investigation. The child is currently in the care of state child-welfare providers as investigators work to determine how they ended up in Olympia. City and regional leaders say that outreach and housing efforts must accompany any closure of the Jungle so people are not simply displaced, reporting shows.
