Missing Orofino High School student found, faces runaway charges

The high school student from Orofino, Idaho, who went missing after prom Saturday night has been located.

Kristian Perez, 17, was found early Tuesday morning at a residence in Orofino, the Orofino Police Department said in a news release. The teen was located in the home belonging to 26-year-old Tyson Imel after police followed a tip that he was staying there.

Perez went missing Saturday night after checking out of his high school prom around 9:30 p.m. His tuxedo jacket, one shoe and his broken cellphone were recovered near a vehicle driven by one of Perez’s relatives who drove the teen to prom that night.

A canine tracking team was able to follow Perez’s scent from where the prom took place at the National Guard Armory westward to a nearby parking lot along U.S. Highway 12, but the track was lost there, a previous news release stated. Police believed then that Perez may have entered a vehicle at that location.

Perez was found in good and health and was taken into custody without incident at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, police said. The teen is facing a runaway charge.

Idaho is one of nine states where that is a crime.

According to the release, Imel may also be facing criminal charges for allegedly sequestering the teen and providing assistance in his runaway.