A Tennessee teen who was kidnapped and drugged by her father was found safe Friday — after being missing for nearly two years, authorities said.
Alabama cops accidentally stumbled upon Daphne Westbrook around 1:30 a.m. in the city of Samson, where an officer stopped the now 18-year-old for driving with an expired tag and busted light, according to Chief Jimmy Hill.
The officer realized who she was after running her name through police computers, Hill said.
Westbrook was driving through Alabama to the beach with her dog.
“She seemed fine. She said she was going to the beach to enjoy herself,’’ the chief said, according to AL.com. “She said she had just turned 18 and was free.”
It was not said where she was coming from.
The teen was reported missing from Chattanooga, TN, in October of 2019 and authorities said they believe her father John Westbrook had kept her against her will by keeping her intoxicated.
Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, the county where the teen was reported missing was still searching for her father.
“We are thankful Daphne is safe and no longer being held by her father,” the office wrote. “It is especially gratifying to be able to tell her mom that Daphne is free and no longer being hidden. This doesn’t change our goal to find and prosecute John Westbrook.”
Cops let the 18-year-old go after determining she “was in no danger and stated that she needed no help in any way.
According to AL.com, Daphne Westbrook did not want to speak to her mom, with whom she had a falling-out when she dropped out of the 10th grade.
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