'Xbox Runaways' Found Safe, Charged With Trespassing
A group of four Iowa teens known as the "Xbox Runaways" were found 360 miles from their homes yesterday. They were arrested for trespassing and will soon be returning home to their parents.
"I hysterically started crying, just overwhelmed with joy. All floods of emotions. Overjoyed, relief, you name it. I couldn't believe it," Judy Hamilton, mother of Jazlyn Visek, told ABC News upon hearing her daughter had been found.
Jazlyn, along with friend Skie Floyd, met two young men, Austin Michael Boggs and Corey Sunderman while playing video games online. The four decided to run away from home together; Skie and Jazlyn were reported missing by their relatives but police never suspected foul play.
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The young teens were found 360 miles away from home in Eureka, Illinois. They were arrested for trespassing and squatting in an abandoned home. Police say they were able to track the teens due to the vehicle they used to get away and a "complaint of trespassing at a residence," Sheriff Randall Forsyth told ABC News.
The teens have not been allowed to see their parents yet due to their illegal activity. Police are holding them and will indict them with charges of trespassing today, and then they will be returned to their parents.
"We'll probably leave tomorrow morning (for Illinois) in hopes that maybe we can see the kids before they go to court because we haven't had a chance to talk to them at all," Crystal Sunderman, Corey's mother, explained.
"I'm starting to worry about what I am going to do to keep Corey, to keep him safe… We've got to fix whatever it was that made him leave. He's had some problems at school with bullying, but honestly, I don't know," Sunderman added.
"Jazlyn had been planning for a couple weeks at least, and I had no idea," her mom said. "I've learned a valuable lesson on media devices and what you allow your children to do on Xbox or Facebook. I admit I was pretty free with Jazlyn and I trusted her, and I think I gave her too much freedom."
