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21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson charged with kidnapping of Wisconsin teen Jayme Closs

Posted at 4:27 AM, Jan 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-11 17:11:53-05

Authorities in Wisconsin have charged a 21-year-old man with kidnapping Jayme Closs and killing her parents 88 days after she was abducted.

The suspect was identified by authorities Friday as Jake Thomas Patterson of Gordon, Wisconsin, the same town where Jayme was found alive the day before by a woman walking her dog.

Patterson had been concealing Jayme from his friends and family, Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said. It is unclear if the suspect knew Jayme or her family before she was kidnapped, but he did have ties to Barron County, Fitzgerald said. He was taken into custody in Douglas County and is currently being held at the Barron County jail, Tom Dalbec.

Jayme escaped from the suspect's home, authorities said, but the circumstances in which she did so were not released. Douglas County emergency dispatchers received the 911 call around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Douglas County deputies later located a vehicle matching description of the suspect's car provided by Jayme, pulled Patterson over and arrested him.

Closs was reported missing on Oct. 15 after her parents were found shot to death in their home in rural Barron, Wisconsin, about an hour's drive south of where she was located.

The woman who found the teen -- who asked that her name not be used -- walked her to the nearby home in Gordon. The residents of the home offered Jayme food and water and called 911.

Both the woman who found Jayme and the residents of the nearby home recognized her.

Authorities are still trying to find out what happened to Closs during the 88 days she was missing. Investigators received more than 3,500 tips during those three months, Fitzgerald said.

Shortly before Jayme was found, a fake alert in Walworth County had been released saying she had been located, Fitzgerald said.

Her family "never gave up hope," Fitzgerald said. "Jayme is safe, and the family is requesting that you please respect their privacy at this extremely emotional time."

Patterson does not have a criminal history. Authorities are not searching for any additional suspects, authorities said.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.