Man arrested in Utah after abducting 10-year-old California girl he planned to marry, police say

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Oct 17, 2011
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Joshua Michael Stehle, 29, of Thornton, Colorado, was located on I-70 by Salina police on Sunday. He was pulled over and arrested on a warrant out of California.

The family of a 10-year-old girl from Bakersfield reported her missing about 5:35 a.m. Sunday. She was last seen about 2 a.m., according to the warrant issued out of California.

"Detectives spoke with (the girl's) friends. ... (She) told her friends that the unknown adult male who lived in Utah wanted to pick (her) up and marry her," according to the warrant.

On Monday, California officers traveled to Utah to interview the girl and Stehle. She told investigators she met Stehle on Snapchat several months ago.

As they were driving, Stehle threw the 10-year-old's cellphone out his car window "so law enforcement could not track her phone," according to the warrant.