Lakeview teen found safe after ex-deputy surrenders

A missing 17-year-old Lakeview girl was found sate Sunday afternoon, hours after a former Lake County sheriff’s deputy surrendered to face sex abuse and other charges involving the girl, Oregon State Police reported.

Marriah Andrews contacted a police officer in Lakeview and was unharmed, troopers said. OSP detectives notified her family.

Detectives and police had been looking for Andrews since she was reported missing.

“OSP appreciates the public’s interest in this matter and thanks the media and those who assisted via social media to get the word out,” the update stated, adding that no other information will be released.

Earlier, OSP was notified former Lake County deputy Kenneth Turkle, 42, turned himself in Sunday morning at the Lake County Jail on outstanding warrants issued Saturday for his arrest related to an investigation into an alleged sexual relationship with the girl.

Turkle was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for three counts of third-degree sex abuse and three counts of contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor.

Turkle, who worked for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for over 10 years, resigned a week ago while he was under investigation by OSP detectives with the assistance of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.

On Friday, OSP detectives contacted Turkle after receiving information that Andrews was reported missing by her family.

Andrews had last been seen Friday morning in the Grants Pass area, where she was staying with a friend, and reportedly left with a man later identified as Turkle.