A 16-year-old Missouri girl who went missing in December has been found months later and two states away, along with a 44-year-old man, according to Colorado police.
Fort Collins Police Services arrested Maximilian Bondrescu, 44, last week on charges of second-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a child – pattern of abuse, second-degree assault, false imprisonment – minor locked in a room, failure to register as a sex offender – incomplete registration, child abuse, harboring a minor, and obstructing a peace officer.
According to authorities, a detective from the Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force alerted the Fort Collins Police Cyber Crimes Unit to a possible kidnapping investigation. Colorado detectives were told that a juvenile who went missing in Missouri in December may be in the area.
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by 9News, the girl allegedly sent a message to someone on April 15 from her Instagram account, which had been virtually inactive since December 6. Investigators allegedly discovered that her account was accessed from an IP address where Bondrescu lived.
After learning he was a registered sex offender, Fort Collins police obtained a search warrant and went to his home on April 18. Bondrescu “denied that there was a juvenile female in the house” according to police, but she was discovered hiding in a closet, according to the affidavit.
The victim was 15 years old when her father reported her missing after she failed to show up for school and could not be reached by phone. According to the affidavit, she told other students about running away to Colorado.
According to the documents, she told police that the two met on an app called “Boo” in November 2024 before moving their communications to Snapchat. According to police, Bondrescu rented a car and drove to Missouri, where he met the young girl before returning her to Colorado. According to the affidavit, he picked her up in the middle of the night and avoided toll roads on the way back.
She allegedly told police that he wrapped her in a blanket and carried her into the house before forcing her to dye her hair and wear a mask and sunglasses if they left. She claimed she was only allowed to leave the house “a few times” and was occasionally forced to work for his snow removal company, FoCo Sno GO.
“While she was forced to work for his company, she was required to wear a mask while shoveling to conceal her identity and age,” said police, who are also asking “for any customers who used this company to contact” investigators.
She claimed he told her he couldn’t afford to bring her home when she requested to leave in January or February. She also claimed that he broke her phone and stole her permit and student ID, leaving her feeling trapped. He allegedly gave her one of his old phones, unaware that it still had Instagram on it. She allegedly logged into her account and contacted a friend.
“The work of the Fort Collins Police Cyber Crime Unit, and similar units across the country, plays a critical role in helping to keep our children safe,” Fort Collins Police Assistant Chief Kristy Volesky said in a statement. “Had it not been for the diligent work of these detectives, the juvenile could have continued to be victimized.”
“Our investigators will now work closely with the District Attorney’s Office to ensure justice for this child,” Volesky said.
According to jail records, Bondrescu is being held on a $500,000 bond; his next court date is May 5.
