BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Sophia Franklin, the missing pregnant 16-year-old from Beaver Dam, has been found.

Franklin had been missing since Feb. 2, 2025, according to authorities. Authorities had believed Franklin was with 40-year-old Gary F. Day, who is known to be the father of her unborn child.

Police found Franklin with Day last night, Wednesday, April 2, at around 11:40 p.m. near Omaha, Nebraska. The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office was responding to a tip of a possible sighting in the area. They made contact with the juvenile, later identified as Franklin, who was supposedly with an adult male that matched Day’s description.

Police positively confirmed their identities and Franklin was taken to a secure facility to be re-unified with her family.

Day was taken into custody with a bond of $5,000 and has had additional charges filed against him in Sarpy County. In February, authorities filed four felony charges against Day and an arrest warrant was also issued. The Dodge County, Wisc. District Attorney’s Office filed two felony charges of Abduction of a Child and two counts of Child Enticement-Causing Mental/Bodily Harm. The first abduction and child enticement count have an offense date of July 29, 2024, while the other two have an offense date of Feb. 3, 2025.

After finding Franklin, authorities in Sarpy County notified the Beaver Dam Police Department.

“The Beaver Dam Police Department would like to thank the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the numerous other law enforcement agencies that put forth the time and effort to locate Sophia. We would also like to thank the community members in multiple states for their awareness and willingness to share leads to follow to help bring Sophia safely home,” the department said in a press release.

An Amber Alert for Franklin had been in effect in Wisconsin, Arkansas and Missouri.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Dodge County against Day, video from a home surveillance system showed a person — who appeared to be Day — walking near a house. The person was dressed in black pants, a black long sleeve shirt and a grey winter hat. Video shows the person walking near a home in Beaver Dam, walking up a driveway and then running as they approached the back of the house. The person is seen looking around, but the clip then ends. 

The criminal complaint also stated a black Buick vehicle was parked one block south of Franklin’s residence around 5:20 a.m., according to a witness. The vehicle appeared to be running. Day’s mother confirmed she bought her son a black Buick. 

According to the complaint, a black vehicle matching that description was seen on Wisconsin Department of Transportation cameras traveling southbound on Highway 151 near Sun Prairie, Wis., at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 3. That would be about 45 minutes after the person matching Day’s description was seen on home surveillance video.

The suspected vehicle in this case was a black 2014 Buick LaCrosse, and the vehicle utilized various license plates, with different numbers and states.

Day has a long criminal history and is already a convicted felon, according to court records.