MADELINE Soto was dropped off a few blocks away from Hunter’s Creek Middle School on Monday, February 26, 2024, but she never made it to school that day.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Missing Child Alert for Maddie’s disappearance, and is continuing to search for the missing teen even after arresting their prime suspect – Stephan Sterns – on Wednesday afternoon.

When did Madeline Soto go missing?

Madeline “Maddie” Soto was last seen alive on Monday morning, February 26, 2024.

She had celebrated her 13th birthday with family and friends the day before, on Sunday, February 25.

Her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, dropped Maddie off at 8:30 am near Hunter’s Creek Middle School and the Peace United Methodist Church.

She was in the area of the 13500th block of Town Loop Boulevard in Orlando, Florida.

She was last seen wearing a green jacket, black shorts, and white Crocs, according to her Missing Child Alert.

Surveillance video shows Maddie hanging out in the church parking lot, but she never made it inside the church, or to school that day.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina says it remains unclear why Maddie was dropped off nearly a half-mile away from her school.

Mina says the sheriff’s office is looking into the drop-off.

“I’m trying to hope for the best, but I’m scared for her,” Maddie’s mother, Jenn Soto, said, as reported by Fox 35 Orlando.

“I want her to be okay, I want her to be safe, I don’t want her to come back harmed.”

“I just want her back – whatever that means, I just want her back,” she added.

Jenn Soto told investigators that her daughter had never run away from home before.

Soto also confirmed that her daughter had left her cell phone at home that morning, but that she often forgot to take it to school.

When Soto went to pick up Maddie from school that afternoon, school officials told her that her daughter had never made it to school that day.

Police investigated Maddie’s cell phone, and found text messages sent from Maddie to her friends saying that she wanted to “live in the woods” after her birthday.

Over 100 members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, including deputies, detectives, police, and even bloodhounds, have been searching for the missing teen.

“This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Sheriff Mina said.

“We can’t even imagine the pain and anguish that Madeline’s family is going through.”

“We will not stop until we find her,” he added.

Who is suspect Stephan Sterns?

On Wednesday, February 29, 2024, Stephan Sterns was arrested by the Kissimmee Police Department.

He is not currently facing any charges in connection with Maddie’s disappearance but faces charges for sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material.

37-year-old Sterns was dating Maddie’s mother, Jenn Soto, at the time of her disappearance.

He was also reportedly the last person to see Maddie, after dropping her off a few blocks away from Hunter’s Creek Middle School.

While investigating Maddie’s disappearance, law enforcement officials found disturbing images and videos that were both “criminal and sexual in nature” on Sterns’ phone.

Police also discovered that “those crimes were committed at a family home in Kissimmee,” but did not confirm if the photos and videos had been taken at Maddie’s home.

The Digital Forensics Unit stated that the phone’s data revealed attempts to delete these criminal photos and videos, which they were able to retrieve.

Sterns was brought to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Central Operations on Wednesday afternoon for questioning.

He invoked his right to an attorney before he was arrested and taken to jail.

“Stephan Sterns had an opportunity [Wednesday night] to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddie’s disappearance,” said Orange County Sheriff John Mina.

“Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kisssimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie.”

What is a missing child alert?

When a child or teen goes missing, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), a state-wide investigative law enforcement agency, can issue two different types of alerts.

The first type of alert is the Missing Child Alert.

Established in 2003, the Florida Missing Child Alert enables police and law enforcement to quickly and effectively spread information across multiple channels, including the media, when they believe a child is missing and in life-threatening danger.

In these instances, however, they also believe that there is little to no chance that the child or teen has been abducted.

When a Missing Child Alert is issued, it is sent out as an emergency broadcast to the media and local public.

To activate a Missing Child Alert, the following criteria must be met:

• The child or teen must be under 18 years old
• A photograph of the child, or descriptive information, like hair and eye color, height, weight, and clothing, must be made available
• Police or investigators must come to the conclusion that the child or teen’s life is in danger
• The agency of jurisdiction, or the local police or other federal, state, or local safety agency, must approve or otherwise allow issuing the Missing Child Alert

The Missing Child Alert allows law enforcement to begin releasing information to the public while continuing their investigation into the cause of the disappearance.

An Enhanced Missing Child Alert must meet the above criteria, but police or other law enforcement must have “a well-founded belief, based on an active investigation, that the child is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury,” as stated by the FDLE.

The Missing Child Alert may “evolve” into a second type of alert, the Amber Alert, if law enforcement discovers or concludes that the child or teen has been abducted.

Amber stands for America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.

To activate an Amber Alert, the following criteria must be met:

• The child or teen must be under 18 years old
• There should be a clear indication that an abduction has taken place
• Police or investigators must come to the conclusion that the child or teen’s life is in danger
• A detailed description of the child or teen, abductor, and/or the vehicle used in the abduction, must be available to broadcast to the public and media
• The activation should be recommended by the local law enforcement agency of jurisdiction