The Union County Sheriff's Office conducted a significant arrest on July 8th, 2023, when two deputies initiated a routine traffic stop on Interstate 29 in South Dakota. The stop, initially made on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence, took an unexpected turn as officers discovered a 14-year-old juvenile asleep in the back seat of the vehicle.

Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the 14-year-old juvenile was a missing person from St. Louis, Missouri. Startling details emerged as authorities uncovered that a 33-year-old male driver and a 29-year-old female passenger had driven a staggering 18 hours from Montana to St. Louis to retrieve the missing juvenile. Their intention was to transport the juvenile back to Montana.

As a result of their actions, the male driver and female passenger were taken into custody and now face multiple charges, including Contributing to the Abuse/Neglect/Delinquency of a Minor, DUI, Ingestion of a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

The Missouri Department of Social Services has been notified and is currently working on coordinating the retrieval of the juvenile, ensuring their safe return to Missouri. While the investigation is still ongoing, additional charges may be brought forth in the future.