RANGELEY – An 18-year-old Pennsylvanian man was arrested on warrants today, after a local couple realized that the stories being told by the man and the young woman he was with did not match. Franklin County dispatchers and a sheriff’s office deputy eventually saw to the arrest of the man, who had disappeared from Grand Valley, Penn. on Sept. 29 with a 15-year-old girl.
State police in Pennsylvania have been searching for Kyle Bedow, 18, and the 15-year-old female since both individuals disappeared from the girl’s residence on Sept. 29. Warrants had been issued for the arrest of Bedow on felony counts of interference with the custody of a child and concealment of the whereabouts of a child.
According to Sheriff Scott Nichols, Charles Stokes, an insurance agent in Oquossoc, was talking with his wife, who works at a restaurant in Oquossoc, about a young couple that both Stokes had met separately over the past 24 hours. The stories that the young couple told the Stokes did not match, but the descriptions of the individuals did. As the Stokes searched online with a name they had received and discovered Grand Valley, Penn. media reports describing the disappearance of Bedow and the 15-year-old, as well as the fact that two warrants had been issued for the Pennsylvania man’s arrest.
Stokes contacted Franklin County dispatchers Blaine Rackliffe and Kyle Ellis, who were able to determine that there were in fact active warrants out for Bedow. The dispatchers were informed that Bedow’s Ford Taurus was parked in Oquossoc, and that the man was driving around the area in a rental vehicle.
Dispatchers determined the type of rental vehicle and released a bulletin to law enforcement. Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sandy Burke located the vehicle on Main Street in Rangeley and arrested Bedow on the Pennsylvania felony warrants. The 15-year-old was taken into protective custody.
Bedow is now being held at the Franklin County Detention Center without bail. FCSO Lt. David St. Laurent is investigating the case to see if further charges are warranted against Bedow. Because the crime involves interstate travel, Nichols said, the Maine State Police will be assisting with the investigation.
Nichols credited “great communication and caring between Mr. and Mrs. Stokes of Oquossoc, county communication personnel and Deputy Burke for ending this 9-day ordeal.”
Great police work!
Great citizen work!!!
thanks, also, to a very observant couple,
Is and 18 yr. old able to rent a car? Did someone else rent the car and let the person use it?
I wonder sometimes if people think they are disappearing into the hinterlands around here. What they don’t seem to get is that everyone knows everyone and we pay attention. The Stokes sound like two sharp people!
He should of not taken off with her but did anyone consider they may be in love with each other. We really do not know the story. I was four months shy of my 17th birthday and my husband was 24 years old when we first started dating, 28 years later still in love.
I have to admit I’m on the fence as well regarding the age difference. It’s not that far of a stretch from 15 to 18. My wife was 16 and I was 19 when we started dating. Having said that, taking off from their home state and attempting to disappear isn’t the answer.
15 years old….dating is one thing, but to drive more than 750 miles away from home, crossing 3 to 5 sate borders? Tough situation at home nust got really tough.