The search for a missing 16-year-old girl continues as her stepfather is en route to join her mother in jail in Augusta.
Fulton County authorities said Friday that Leon Tripp was released from the jail. Richmond County authorities have charged him with kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of Latania Carwell in April.
Tripp and his wife, Tanya Tripp, were arrested in Atlanta last week.
She’s charged with hindering the apprehension of a criminal, Richmond County jail records show.
Tanya Tripp had recently moved from Augusta to metro Atlanta to be with her husband, the Augusta Chronicle reported.
The girl was last seen April 17 when she and her stepfather left their residence, according to the Chronicle.
Leon Tripp told his wife he was with the girl and they were helping a friend with a stranded vehicle, according to the Chronicle. He was later seen at an Atlanta grocery store before his arrest, but Carwell was not with him.
Rewards totaling $1,000 are offered for the teen’s safe return, according to a Facebook page that focuses on the situation.
The Augusta home where the Tripps and Carwell lived has been searched by the sheriff's crime scene unit, according to a report.
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