ESSEX — Essex police officers discovered stolen property while searching for a runaway juvenile Thursday afternoon.
Officers responded to a neighborhood off South Summit Street around 3:16 p.m. after a resident reported seeing two juveniles in the area, one matching the description of a teen reported missing earlier this week.
Initially unable to locate the runaway, officers developed information about a likely location and searched a residence with permission from a responsible person.
During the search, officers did not find the juvenile but discovered several pieces of property that had been stolen in recent days.
Police then obtained a search warrant for the residence, which led to the discovery of additional items possibly connected to stolen vehicle cases across multiple towns in Chittenden County.
The runaway juvenile was later found walking nearby and was returned to their custodial adult.
The investigation remains ongoing.
