Kent Police say an officer and several crewmates spent more than five hours last weekend helping a 16-year-old girl in crisis find safe housing after she was found in a home on Kent East Hill with two adult men in their 30s, following what officers described as a history of abuse, family rejection and housing instability.
According to police, officers were dispatched to a home after a 911 caller reported unwanted people in her house. Police said the individuals had been invited in by the caller’s adult son, who is in his 30s. When officers arrived, they found another man in his 30s and a 16-year-old girl inside the home.
Police said the girl told officers she had been kicked out of her home across the state at age 14, had moved between places and later entered a relationship with a 20-year-old boyfriend who brought her to the opposite side of the state and physically abused her. Police said she did not report the abuse because she was threatened and had no other support.
After leaving that situation, police said the girl ended up in the Kent home with the two men. Officers worked to contact her family but were told she was not welcome to return home, and family members would not assist in finding alternative housing, according to police. Child Protective Services would not take custody, and officers exhausted multiple housing options without success.
Police said officers eventually located someone in the area who agreed to take the girl for the night. FD CARES assisted and arranged transportation to that location, according to the department.
The department said the alleged domestic abuse by the boyfriend has been referred to the city or county where it occurred for investigation.
Police emphasized that abandoning a child can result in criminal consequences, including a citation for neglect of a child, and warned that leaving minors with unknown adults increases the risk of trafficking. January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and police said the incident highlights how youth in crisis can become vulnerable when families disengage.
The Kent Police Department urged parents and guardians who are overwhelmed to seek help rather than abandoning their children, and encouraged residents to call 911 if they cannot keep a child safe.
Resources for Families
Police also shared the following resources for families in crisis.
“Please share with whomever needs to see it,” police said. “If you just can’t take it, call 911 before you abandon your child to strangers.”
- IN CRISIS and need to talk about options? Call 988 24/7 365 Days a year.
- Guidance obtaining a court order for temporary placement of a child in a residence other than the home of their parent when other meditation services cannot help: https://kingcounty.gov/en/court/superior-court/courts-jails-legal-system/court-programs-children-families/truancy-at-risk-youth-programs/child-in-need-of-services-program
- King County Youth Services/Mental Health/Substance Abuse/Family Counseling: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dchs/human-social-services/behavioral-health-recovery/children-youth-services
- Seattle Children’s Hospital Behavior/Attention Management Program: https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/psychiatry-and-behavioral-medicine/services/behavior-and-attention-management-program/
- Seattle Children’s Same Day children 4-17 Mental Health Support: https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/psychiatry-and-behavioral-medicine/psychiatric-urgent-care
