ROCKCASTLE COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — After nearly three months of uncertainty, a Kentucky family is finally breathing a sigh of relief.
According to officials, a 13-year-old girl disappeared from her foster home in Rockcastle County on Oct. 14, 2025. A Kentucky arrest warrant shows that Christian Delgado, 37, met her online and allegedly took her to Florida before moving to Maryland.
She was found safe on Dec. 26. That’s 83 days after she was reported missing. Authorities say the moment came after her aunt, Haley Whitehead, received a phone call that led authorities to her location.
In the two months that the girl was missing, her family held prayer vigils, hoping for her safe return.
“I believe in God, and if something positive is going to come out of this, it’s going to be God. There’s power in prayer and power in numbers. And that’s our goal—to get God to move on this,” the 13-year-old’s aunt said at the time.
Authorities found Delgado and the teen in a home in Silver Spring, Maryland, more than 500 miles away from the teen’s home in Rockcastle County. He now faces kidnapping charges in relation to her disappearance.
Delgado was extradited to the Rockcastle County Detention Center on Jan. 2 and is being held on a $1 million cash bond.
Delgado entered a not guilty plea to the charge of kidnapping a minor. His counsel urged the court to lower Delgado’s $1 million bond, but that request was denied.
Prosecutors say Delgado has a federal hold and that additional charges may be filed in Kentucky, Maryland, and Florida. His attorney, Christopher Spedding, says it is too early to comment on the case.
“I’ve just been retained by the family. I’ve not had the opportunity to see the evidence. So I’m not comfortable making any comments about the evidence or about the strength of the case or the weakness of the case at this time,” Spedding said.
In a Maryland courtroom, Delgado called this all “a misunderstanding” and referred to himself as a model citizen.
During a news conference Monday, law enforcement officials thanked the public and multiple agencies for their role in bringing the missing teen home.
They also emphasized that many cases remain unsolved.
“Please remember, there are still 24 missing children listed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky under the age of 18. There are 1630 under the age of 18 in the United States,” said Rockcastle County Sheriff Shannon Franklin. “We still have a way to go, and we’re not going to quit, and I say that for each and every one of these.”
Delgado’s next court appearance has reportedly been set for 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11.