New York State Police have charged a pair of Cattaraugus County teenagers with Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and Unlawful Imprisonment; all this after a day that started with the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl.
State Police issued an Amber Alert after finding the missing girl, McKenzie Wilson of Franklinville, was linked to 18-year-old Joshua Monette. Monette had recently been arrested for Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor. The girl’s mother, Patty McConnell, told 13 WHAM her daughter had a relationship with Monette she didn’t approve. Monette was additional charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Troopers say they checked and found Monette and his 16-year-old friend John Harvey were unaccounted for. They also learned a pickup truck was missing from a nearby residence and that a handgun had been inside the truck when it was stolen. They believe the two friends stole the truck, then took Wilson from her home at about 5:00 a.m.
Troopers found McKenzie Wilson and the two teenagers shortly after 4:00 p.m. along with the stolen truck. They were found at an abandoned house near their home. Nobody was hurt when they were taken into custody.