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Wisconsin teen found safe, man arrested thanks to stranger in Nebraska

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Wisconsin teen found safe, man arrested thanks to stranger in Nebraska


A pregnant teen from Beaver Dam will return home safe after weeks of searches and investigations, which spanned multiple states, thanks to a tip from a stranger nearly 500 miles from home.

The backstory:

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An Amber Alert was issued in Wisconsin after Sophia Franklin was last seen at her home on Feb. 2. At the time, she was 16 years old and three months pregnant. Amber Alerts were later issued in Arkansas and Missouri. 

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The teen was found on Wednesday – her 17th birthday – near Omaha, Nebraska. She was with 40-year-old Gary Day, who is now in custody. Police said he is the father of the unborn child, and the two began talking online roughly a year ago.

How were they found?

What they’re saying:

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Nearly 500 miles from Beaver Dam, the “see something, say something” mantra ended the search for the missing teen. 

“They observed an adult male and juvenile female, and they just thought it was suspicious – that maybe they just didn’t go together,” said Lt. Dennis Svoboda with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.

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After talking with the teen, a 911 caller went online and saw an Amber Alert for her, along with a photo of the man investigators said she was with. 

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“They provided false information, some variety of names. Our people ran them through databases, couldn’t find them,” Svoboda said.

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That is, Svoboda said, until a mobile fingerprint scanner confirmed Day’s identity, and he was taken into custody.

Dig deeper:

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Police said Day was seen on surveillance near Franklin’s home in February. His booking photo looks a lot different from the photos shared in police social media posts and prior Amber Alerts. 

Beaver Dam Police Department

“He definitely was trying to elude investigation and subsequent arrest, which makes him even more problematic,” said Stan Stojkovic, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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Day also changed license plates on the car he was driving, and Svoboda said the two may have hitchhiked around the country. That’s partially why Stojkovic gave kudos to all involved law enforcement agencies.

“This is a victory for law enforcement,” he said.

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In custody

What’s next:

Day remains in custody in the Sarpa County Jail, where he faces misdemeanor charges. He has outstanding child abuse charges in Arkansas against a different child, on top of felony charges in Wisconsin tied to Franklin.

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FOX6 News asked the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office about extradition for Day but did not hear back by the deadline for this story.

The Source: FOX6 News interviews Lt. Dennis Svoboda with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Stan Stojkovic, professor emeritus of criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Information from prior coverage of the case was also referenced. 

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Nebraska

Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas

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Nebraska baseball falls to 16th-ranked Kansas


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska baseball team lost to Kansas 9-7 on Tuesday in front of a record crowd at Hoglund Park. The Huskers took an early lead on an RBI single by National Freshman of the Week Drew Grego. After giving up three unanswered runs, Nebraska rallied to go back in front on a 3rd-inning single by Will Jesske. Both Grego and Jesske finished with two hits in the game.

Kansas, however, took control in the middle innings. The Jayhawks got home runs from Tyson Owens and Josh Dykoff in the sixth frame. Both round-trippers came off NU relief pitcher Ty Horn. Kansas added insurance in the 7th inning before a late rally by the Huskers.

Nebraska trimmed a five-run deficit to two, but couldn’t complete the comeback on the road.

The Huskers’ loss is their second to the Jayhawks this season. Nebraska’s record drops to 31-10 overall.

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Will Bolt’s team returns to action on Friday at Illinois. Game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Champaign.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.



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Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings

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Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings


Softball

April 21, 2026

Nebraska jumps up to No. 2 in college softball Power 10 rankings

April 21, 2026

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Check out Michella Chester’s updated college softball Power 10 rankings for the week of April 21, which sees Nebraska rise to No. 2 behind an 11-game win streak.



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Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska

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Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska


OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.

A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.

And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.

Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.

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Monitoring system

We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.

Here are the numbers since 2023:

In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.

But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.

But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.

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Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.

One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.

Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.



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