An unsettling incident unfolded in Flagler County, Florida, when an 18-year-old man from Palm Coast was taken into custody after he was discovered with a missing teenage girl from Central Florida. This distressing situation was confirmed by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The authorities were alerted on January 11 when deputies were called to Beckner Lane, following the report of a 15-year-old girl who had gone missing. Concerned family members had already suspected her whereabouts.

According to the girl’s father, he feared that his daughter was in the company of Brandon Lee Gray II. Gray, a resident of Palm Coast, had previously taken the juvenile out of state without parental consent in December of 2025, an alarming violation of trust and responsibility.

During the December incident, the authorities revealed that the girl had been located with Gray in Valdosta, Georgia. At that time, Gray was informed explicitly that the girl was a minor and he was not permitted to have any contact with her. Despite being warned, this serious breach had not been reported to law enforcement then, leaving a gap in official action.

In a troubling twist to the story, detectives discovered that Gray had recently purchased two bus tickets to Houston, Texas, under false names, using his mother’s bank account, raising concerns about potential plans for further unauthorized travel.

Afterward, Houston police helped find the girl at a bus station on Jan. 11, and she was taken into protective custody before being returned to Florida, deputies added.

Meanwhile, detectives said they obtained a warrant for Gray’s arrest just a few days later, and he was taken into custody on Monday after he returned to his home in Palm Coast.

“Gray was on felony juvenile probation at the time of his arrest for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon stemming from a 2023 incident,” the release continues.

However, when Gray was being taken to jail, two hidden electronic vape pens were found “strapped to Gray’s penis using hair ties,” investigators noted. Gray reportedly claimed he had panicked and failed to disclose the items.

As such, Gray now faces charges of depriving custody of a minor, two counts of smuggling a vapor electronic device into a correctional institution, and felony violation of probation. He was later released on bond of $16,000.

“This case shows just how important it is for parents to be involved in their child’s life,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I commend our deputies and investigators for quickly tracking this child to Houston and working with Texas authorities to quickly recover this child and return her home. We were able to locate the missing juvenile the same day she was reported missing, despite her being nearly 1,000 miles from home and this dirtbag went to jail.”