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Missing Brentwood teenager Garrett Benz (15), who was last seen at his residence in Crooked Hill on June 13, has been found safe and sound on Wednesday, June 14, as announced by the teenager's father, Keith Benz. According to local authorities, Garrett, who reportedly left his home at approximately 7:00 pm ET local time on Tuesday, was last seen wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and plaid pajamas.
Facebook user Alicia Ali wrote that in the wake of the incident, Garrett Benz's family members could be seen around Long Island, raising awareness about the teens' disappearance.
Garrett Benz was described by investigators as a white male who stood at 6 foot 1 inch and approximately 130 pounds. Officials have not yet disclosed any possiblity of foul play, nor have made any arrests. The circumstances around the teen's discovery have also not been revealed as of this article's writing.
The greater implications of Garrett Benz's case
Officials have not yet revealed the reason of Garrett Benz's disappearance. However, as per Kraut Law, the 15-year-old is among approximately 840,000 minors who go missing in America on an annual basis.
According to the FBI, between 1.6 and 2.8 million teens in America run away from home each year; in most cases, they are found. However, investigators noted that the chances of finding a missing person alive decrease significantly after the first 48-hours.
The longer they stay away from home without supervision, the more likely they are to become involved in gang violence, substance abuse, or other illegal activities. In several cases, authorities discovered teen runaways staying at a friend's home.
Among teenagers, the most likely reason for a disappearance is that they willingly ran away. In certain cases, minors leave home in order to escape psychological or domestic abuse from family members. Other reasons for disappearances can include substance use or mental health issues. Several teenage runaways also have a higher chance of ending up homeless, or having to serve time in a juvenile facility.
As reported by LovetoKnow, in 47% of cases, teen runaways claim that they left home due to an argument with a guardian or parent. In 50% of cases, the teens were kicked out by a guardian. 80% of teenage runaways reported that they experienced some sort of physical or emotional abuse before leaving home.
Due to the fact that many teenage runaways are victims of abuse in their homes, several National Runaway Switchboards offer them support. The Switchboard also provides free Grey Hound tickets for teenagers who want to return home, but do not have the money.
In the case of Garrett Benz, the teen's return is one of the best outcomes his family could hope for.
