Missing girl, 17, rescued from trunk of car; man arrested

The police rescued a 17-year-old girl from the trunk of a car in the Limburg village of Peel on Thursday morning. The girl had been reported missing a few days earlier. A 22-year-old man from Panheel was arrested. The girl is doing well under the circumstances, the police said in a statement.

At around 5:00 a.m. on Thursday the police were informed of a car driving around a forested area near Peel without its lights on. Responding officers found the car in a parking lot, with the driver sleeping inside. When the police checked his identity, they found that the 22-year-old man was wanted for assault and threats. He was arrested.

As the suspect "continued to insist on getting something out of his car", the officers decided to search the car, the police said. They found the 17-year-old girl in the trunk. She had been reported missing from an institution a few days earlier. According to the police, she left the institution herself. The girl was not injured and was returned to the institution.

The suspect is in custody for questioning. The police are investigating exactly what happened.