A 16-year-old Bowling Green girl who vanished late last month was found safe at a truck stop nearly 2,000 miles away in Bliss, Idaho, traveling with a 32-year-old truck driver who is now facing a felony charge. Kirea Carrington was reunited with her family over the weekend of October 3, closing out a search that stretched from Warren County to the Idaho desert.
The Warren County Sheriff's Office announced the search for Carrington on September 27, after her mother reportedly last saw her around midnight on September 26, according to FOX 56 News. She was found safe on September 30, according to WLKY, which reported she had been missing from Bowling Green for four days before she was located. WKYT reported that, according to FBI Louisville, Carrington was found in Idaho and was located with the 32-year-old truck driver before being taken into custody without incident.
Truck Driver Identified, Charged With Custodial Interference
Carrington was located in Idaho with 32-year-old truck driver Victus Harte, according to WBKO. Harte has been arrested and charged on a warrant from Warren County for custodial interference, per a report from wnky.com, which added that he is expected to be returned to Warren County to face the charge. That identification came after an earlier report from WLKY, filed the day Carrington was found, which said the man taken into custody had simply been “taken into custody without incident” without naming him or detailing possible charges — a gap later filled in as more details emerged.
Idaho law defines child custody interference as taking, enticing away, keeping or withholding a minor from a parent or another person or institution holding custody, joint custody, visitation or other parental rights without lawful authority, according to the Idaho Legislature. The statute's text does not specify how it applies in Carrington's case, and further case details — including charging documents, a court date or Harte's custody status — have not been reported.
Multiple Agencies Worked the Recovery
The case drew help from federal and state authorities on both ends of the country. It received assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Idaho State Police and the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, per wnky.com's reporting. WBKO reported that FBI Louisville specifically thanked the Boise Resident Agency of FBI Salt Lake City, Idaho State Police, the Twin Falls Police Department and the Warren County Sheriff's Office for helping recover Carrington and arrest Harte.
FBI Louisville tied the recovery to a broader federal initiative, Operation Summer Heat 2.0, saying the operation led to the location or identification of more than 1,400 child victims nationwide, according to WKYT. The operation ran from June 1 through September 20, 2026, per Just The News, which also reported that authorities separately said the effort located 1,410 children in investigations involving violent crimes against children, and that it resulted in 8,927 arrests nationwide.
A Nationwide Push With Local Stakes
The scale of the initiative showed up elsewhere, too. In South Carolina, FBI Columbia reported a 156% increase in arrests and a 266% increase in firearm seizures compared with the previous summer's version of the operation, according to South Carolina Public Radio. That state saw 80 arrests and 43 major narcotics seizures as federal agents worked alongside state and local law enforcement, and investigators there disrupted distribution of more than 16 kilograms of illicit substances and recovered 40 firearms, the outlet reported.
For Carrington's family, though, the outcome that mattered was simpler: she was reunited with them, FBI Louisville said, according to WKYT. The bureau added that its work isn't stopping there, saying it will continue to work around the clock with law enforcement partners to keep America's children safe.
