Caitlyn Frisina, the 17-year-old who has been missing from Columbia County, Florida, for nearly a week, was found safe Friday in central New York.

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Frisina was found in North Syracuse, over 1,000 miles from Lake City. The 2001 red Mercury Sable in which she was riding was spotted by New York state troopers, who made a traffic stop.

U.S. marshals assisted in the search, authorities said. 
The search ends a days-long drama in which Frisina was discovered to have left her Lake City home with Rian Rodriguez, a 27-year-old soccer coach.

Rodriguez was taken into custody without incident. Frisina's parents have been notified, authorities said.

Frisina is a senior at Fort White High in Columbia County, Florida. Authorities said this week that there may have been a relationship between her and Rodriguez, but if so, the two successfully hid it.

The pair had been suspected of being in the northeastern United States. They had been seen along the I-95 corridor in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, but the last sighting was last Sunday.

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Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

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