Teen Who Disappeared from Home in the Middle of the Night Has Been Found Alive Over 1,200 Miles Away

Sophia Cover was last seen on security footage in the early morning hours of July 31

NEED TO KNOW

• Sophia Cover, the 16-year-old girl who was last seen on July 31 leaving her home in Florida, has been found alive, her father and authorities said
• Surveillance footage showed the teen leaving her Naples home and wearing a dark hoodie and backpack the night of her disappearance
• Richard Cover said on Aug. 10 that Sophia was found safe at a friend’s home in New Jersey

A 16-year-old girl who was captured on security footage leaving her Florida home in the middle of the night has been found safe, over 1,200 miles away.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the good news about teenager Sophia Veronica Cover in a social media post on Monday, Aug. 10. 

“Sophia Cover has been located and is safe,” the post simply read. 

When reached for comment, the sheriff’s office told PEOPLE: “We don’t have any additional information here, other than that she made contact with law enforcement out of state and was removed from the national and state missing person databases.”

Richard Cover, Sophia’s father, also announced that his daughter had been located in a video clip shared by the Florida Themis Project, a victims’ support group, on Monday, describing her as “totally safe.”

“She was picked up today at a friend’s house in Cherry Hill, N.J., by the FBI,” he said. “She is totally in their custody.”

He added authorities were interviewing her and that he was planning to fly up from Florida to pick her up. 

Richard said he initially assumed the worst until he received the happy news. 

“It sounds like just some teenagers deciding that they were smarter than everybody else and decided to hang out together for a few days and it looks like it turned into 11,” he added in the clip. “Just great news, everyone.”

On July 31 at around 12:45 a.m. local time, the teen was seen leaving her home in Golden Gate Estates on foot, the sheriff’s office said in its original alert. 

Surveillance footage reviewed by ABC affiliate WZVN showed Sophia leaving her house on 62nd Avenue Northeast in Naples while wearing a dark hoodie and backpack. 

The disappearance came four months after the family moved to the area, and the family did not believe Sophia would have run away.

“I have buried myself into finding her,” her father, Richard, told WZVN of the search to find his daughter at the time, adding that he scoured social media regarding her whereabouts.

Richard later detailed his initial fears that his daughter had been kidnapped.

“That day she was in … so the dog’s whining so I walk around, go through the pool bathroom door and that’s unlocked. I walk into her bedroom and she’s nowhere to be found,” he told the Gulf Coast News. “I think that she left the house because someone either convinced her to, or promised her something and I think that she’s in trouble right now.”

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Sophia’s great-grandmother previously shared a plea on social media earlier on Monday, asking Sophia to return home.

“Sophia, this is Grandma. I love you, I love you, I love you,” her great-grandmother said. “Please, come home. I want to see you again. Okay? I’m waiting for you, Sophia. I want to see you, Sophia. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

In his latest video sharing that Sophia had been found, the dad thanked those who supported their family during the terrifying ordeal.

“I don’t even know how to express my gratitude to the people of the community, the people around the United States, my friends, my family, everybody,” Richard said in the clip. “It’s just the amount of love and support [we’ve] gotten with no judgement and all love, I just say the people in this world, I have no words.”

“The bottom line is she’s healthy, she’s safe,” he added.