NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Amber Alert issued shortly before 1:00 a.m. Tuesday for a 17-year-old girl from North Tonawanda was canceled around 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The Pennsylvania State police say the 17-year-old has been safely located.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story identified the 17-year-old girl by name and image, as police were looking for her and public knowledge of her identity may have aided in the search. Now that she has been located, we have removed her name and image to protect her privacy as a minor.
The Amber Alert was issued early Tuesday morning and police said the girl was abducted from the area of Niagara Falls Boulevard near Shawnee Road in North Tonawanda around 7:00 p.m. Monday.
A 50-year-old Depew man named Michael D. Mesko is suspected of abducting her, police say the girl had a full stay away order of protection against Mesko.
"The child was taken under circumstances that lead the police to believe that she may be in imminent danger of serious harm and/or death. It was suspected that Michael had taken the victim and may have been headed out of state," North Tonawanda police said in a press release.
Police say Mesko and the 17-year-old girl were located in at a rest stop in Harrisville, Pennsylvania around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and Mesko was taken into custody after a short pursuit and a PIT maneuver was conducted. The 17-year-old girl is safe and receiving evaluation.
Mesko is in federal custody and faces the following charges - endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, and fleeing and eluding police. No word yet on any federal charges.
North Tonawanda Police say Mesko was released from Niagara County Jail on February 10, where he was being held on two counts of second-degree rape and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual act.
