Missing Monroe County teens found safe in L.A.

Mike Miller  —  8/26/2008 7:42 pm

The tale of two teens who left their Monroe County homes last week, shocking their families with their disappearance, appears to be having a happy ending.

Cassandra (Cassie) Tate, 13, from Wilton, and her boyfriend, Kevin Lozano, 16, from nearby Norwalk, ran off Aug. 20 and were thought to be headed to California.

Given the ages of the kids, their disappearance was shocking, perhaps even more so for the Tates, who had gone through a similar event one year ago when Cassie's aunt, Francine, disappeared for eight days after leaving a Madison prayer meeting.

But just as in the case of Francine Tate, who was found safe and unharmed by a warden in northern Wisconsin, the disappearance of Cassie and Kevin is also ending on a positive note.

Shortly after the two kids left Monroe County, they showed up at the home of a Lozano family friend in Los Angeles, and that person called Kevin's father back in Wisconsin to let him know where the teens were.

Norwalk-Wilton Police Chief Steven Kaczik then contacted law enforcement officials in L.A., who took Cassie into custody, while Kevin's parents were OK with Kevin staying in L.A., said Steven Tate, Cassie's uncle and Francine's husband.

Cassie's father, Stan, then drove to Chicago in the early hours of Monday, flew to L.A., and went to the detention center where Cassie was being held. They flew back to Chicago, and drove back to Wilton by 9 a.m. Tuesday.

"There was sadness and joy with tears mostly at first and some laughter late on as we all were so thankful for Cassie's safe return to our family," said her uncle Steve.

"This definitely started the healing process with more actions needed to continue on with the hearing process," Steve said.

Mike Miller  —  8/26/2008 7:42 pm