A 12-year-old Florida girl stole her dad's car before picking up a friend and driving across state lines, all to possibly meet a person that she had met online, officials say.
As reported by NBC News, an alert for a missing child was raised on Thursday morning (April 6), after the 12-year-old, along with her 14-year-old friend were last spotted in their hometown of Lake Butler, Florida.
Jade Gregory and Khloe Larson traveled in Jade's father's Ford Taurus toward Louisiana where the person they had allegedly been communicating online with was based.
The pair were seen on Main Street and County Road 237 in Lake Butler after the 12-year-old had picked up her friend from her home.
As per the Daily Mail, the duo made it over 400 miles from Gainesville in Florida to Alabama where they turned themselves in after realizing they were been searched for.
The Union County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement, via the Mail, on Thursday morning after the girls had been found: "We have canceled our active missing children alert.
"Many thanks to the multiple agencies involved throughout Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana to include the FBI and FDLE [Florida Department of Law Enforcement]. Thank you for all the tips and information received."
The alert which was raised at 11:50 AM was resolved by 4:00 PM, meaning they spent five hours on the road, including driving on interstates.
Officials are exploring the possibility that they were lured to go on the drive by somebody they met online, but this remains unconfirmed.
Chief Deputy Captain Lyn Williams said the department had some information that raised "red flags" about the supposed person that the girls had been chatting to, and the matter has now been turned over to the FBI.
Both girls are now safely at home with their families.
