Kern County sheriff holds press conference for update on abducted 11-year-old Bakersfield girl who was located in Utah
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said authorities in Kern County will work on extraditing a Colorado man accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old girl who was located in Utah.
Youngblood provided a few more details about the case during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Joshua Michael Stehle, 29, of Thornton Colorado was arrested and held at the Sevier County jail while he waits to be extradited, authorities said.
The girl was located in Utah on March 17, hours after going missing near the 3100 block of Pioneer Drive in Bakersfield, according to the the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said a Salina Police Department officer spotted a Chevy Silverado heading east on I-70 near Salina and pulled the truck over. From there, the officer was able to take Stehle into custody and rescue the 11-year-old girl.
The Bakersfield girl was taken into custody of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and has since been reunited with her family.
Watch the press conference with Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood in the video player above.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
