Missing teen found with best friend's father two weeks after disappearing
A teenage girl has been found with her friend's father at a resort town in Mexico, nearly two weeks after the pair were reported missing.
Kevin Esterly, a married father of four, and Amy Yu, 16, were found on Saturday at Playa del Carmen after allegedly fleeing Allentown, Pennsylvania together.
Amy Yu's family and the Esterly family had reportedly met at church a number of years ago, before Miss Yu became best friends with the 45-year-old's eldest daughter, The Morning Call reports.
The attorney representing Mr Esterly's wife, told the publication that the teen had almost been treated like their "fifth daughter" and been included often in their family vacations.
Miss Yu's mother reportedly discovered on February 9 that Mr Esterly had signed her 16-year-old daughter out of school 10 times between November and February - allegedly posing as her stepfather.
The Morning Call reports the 16-year-old allegedly willingly met up with the 45-year-old on March 5 after failing to board her school bus.
The pair, who had allegedly stolen money from their families, then took a one-way flight to Mexico from the Philadelphia International Airport.
Miss Yu is now back with her mother in Allentown, and police have said in a statement that the 16-year-old was not harmed and was "in good health".
Mr Esterly has been arrested and is in Florida pending extradition to Pennsylvania.
According to ABC News he is facing a third degree felony charge of interference with the custody of a child.
For a number of months Mr Esterly and his wife had been fighting over the pair's alleged relationship.
According to attorney John Waldron, who is representing Esterly’s wife, Stacey “Kevin indicated that he was attempting to be her dad, a father figure to Amy.
“Stacey did not believe it to be merely a father-daughter relationship and that’s why there were fights. They were fighting every day over Amy.”
It is reported that Mrs Estlery has now retained a divorce attorney.
