A Virginia man is facing felony charges in what prosecutors describe as the disappearance and years-long captivity of a Milwaukee girl who vanished from her Brown Street home in June 2022 and was finally located by police in May 2026. Authorities allege she was held against her will, physically and sexually abused, and kept out of school. An arrest warrant is now active, and investigators say tips and leads from around the country helped them crack the case after nearly four years.
Charges Filed In Milwaukee
The Milwaukee County District Attorney has charged 37-year-old Owen Anderson of Virginia with kidnapping, child enticement, and abduction of a child, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest in Wisconsin. According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, Western Virginia Regional Jail records show Anderson was booked there on a charge of kidnapping a person under 16 the day after the victim was found.
How Investigators Say She Disappeared And Was Found
Surveillance video and police reports indicate the girl was last seen near Buffum and Reservoir in late June 2022, after leaving her Brown Street home at age 15. Milwaukee police later confirmed she was located on May 25, 2026, after an out-of-state lieutenant encountered her while responding to a 911 domestic-dispute call, according to CBS 58. That contact prompted Milwaukee investigators to travel out of state and follow up on a trail of tips that had been coming in over several years.
Court Filings Describe Grooming, Control And Abuse
According to the criminal complaint, Anderson began communicating with the girl online when she was 12. Prosecutors say he “convinced” her to leave home in June 2022 by promising she would have “ample food” and that he would “never hit her.” Court documents state he then arranged her transportation to Chicago, took her phone and discarded it, and moved her out of state, where she was allegedly held, threatened, and abused for years.
Investigators say a search of Anderson’s residence turned up electronic devices, flash drives, and journals tied to the victim, and that he had firearms and other weapons on him when he was arrested, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
Evidence Recovered And What Comes Next
Prosecutors say the investigation remains active and that formal proceedings in Milwaukee County Circuit Court will follow as they continue to coordinate with out-of-state partners. The Western Virginia Regional Jail is listed as the facility where custody entries are recorded and was cited in local reporting related to Anderson’s booking. Milwaukee authorities and the district attorney’s office have not released additional details that could identify the victim, citing the ongoing investigation and the sensitive nature of the allegations.
Legal Process
The charges against Anderson are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. If he is extradited to Wisconsin, Anderson would be brought before a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge for arraignment, and the case would move through the standard pretrial and trial process laid out under state law.
