Police rescue missing 11-year-old from truck of registered sex offender in dramatic video

14 Jan 2026 • 12:27 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • An 11-year-old boy was rescued from registered sex offender Darnell Hairston during a traffic stop in Florida on New Year’s Eve.
  • Officers from Flagler County Sheriff’s Department initiated the stop after a caller reported seeing Hairston, a 60-year-old, with two juveniles in his truck.
  • During the intervention, officers located the 11-year-old and a 15-year-old boy in Hairston's vehicle.
  • Hairston attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended, while the 15-year-old tried to escape in the truck, nearly hitting an officer before being arrested after a police pursuit and crash.
  • Hairston is being held without bond, facing kidnapping charges, and the 15-year-old, believed to be a co-conspirator, faces charges including battery of an officer.

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