DEARBORN HEIGHTS – Nearly a month and a half after a 16-year-old girl escaped from a juvenile care center in Dearborn Heights, local police have located her living in a home in the city with a Lebanese national, who has since been arrested and handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Authorities discovered that he was residing in the U.S. illegally after his work visa had expired.

Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar said he would not be returning the girl to the Vista Maria Center in Dearborn Heights, which she had fled on March 14, due to multiple allegations of abuse at the facility and the unexplained disappearance of another 13-year-old girl, whose fate remains unknown.

According to city officials, former and current employees and residents at Vista Maria allege years of physical and sexual abuse, poor building conditions, staff shortages and decaying infrastructure. There are growing calls for the state of Michigan to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the facility — possibly leading to its closure.

While awaiting the results of the investigation and any official charges, Haidar declined to release the name of the 62-year-old man who took the girl in from March 17 until the police raid on his house on April 24. Authorities say the man and the girl had no prior relationship.

In a press conference, Haidar explained that the man had encountered the girl on the street near a car wash where he worked, at the intersection of Inkster and Joy Roads. After she asked to use his phone, he invited her to stay in his home near Warren and Inkster Roads and provided her with housing and financial support for her needs.

“We believe she was just a girl wandering the streets with no money and no place to go, and then she met this man who offered her all these things,” Haidar told reporters, ruling out coercion.

The police chief thanked everyone who had provided information during the search, which included publicizing the girl’s name and photo.

While awaiting the results of a sexual assault examination, Haidar said the girl appeared to move freely within the home and had access to a phone. He expressed surprise that she never attempted to call for help during her time there.

Haidar raised questions about why the girl was afraid to leave, especially since she had accompanied the man on several outings to public places, such as restaurants and local stores. He emphasized that investigations would reveal more details in time.

The girl is currently in the custody of Michigan’s Child Protective Services, undergoing a psychological evaluation. Police investigators are conducting interviews to determine whether others were involved in her disappearance or had sexual contact with her — including a former Vista Maria staff member and two other men.

Police are also investigating whether the girl was a victim of sex trafficking, following reports of her communication with two customers. One of them, identified as being in his mid-30s, has been located. The other remains unidentified. Haidar said police plan to question the girl about both men, who could face criminal charges if it’s confirmed they had sexual contact with a minor.

“What’s troubling is that when we first received tips suggesting the girl might be in this area, we were told she was last seen near a car wash,” Haidar said regarding the man who housed her. “When our investigators went there, they interviewed multiple people, including the man we later arrested. At the time, he denied having seen her and refused to provide any information about her whereabouts.”

Police also discovered a “wish list” written by the girl in the man’s house. In it, she wrote that she wanted to leave the state, get a job and buy a car.

“She wasn’t locked in a basement or anything like that,” Haidar added. “There were times when she went out with the man, got into his car, went to stores and ate at restaurants.”

Haidar reiterated that the girl would not be sent back to Vista Maria, located on Warren Avenue, suggesting she may have been fleeing someone at the center. He noted that the disappearance of another teenage girl from the same facility further supports fears of serious abuse within the 142-year-old institution, which has led some girls to flee toward Detroit.