Missing 15-year-old Beach Park girl found in California with man

A 15-year-old girl who was reported missing from north suburban Beach Park in early February has been found in California with a Beach Park man, who is now facing several felony charges.

The teenager, whose name has not been publicly released, was last seen by her family on Feb. 9, according to a statement from the Lake County sheriff’s office. Her family didn’t know where she might have gone, and she did not have a cellphone with her. Detectives issued a bulletin to local law enforcement and entered her as missing in a national database.

During the investigation, detectives found a witness who believed she saw the missing girl with 33-year-old Beach Park man William P. Borland on Feb. 26, according to the statement. Detectives contacted a family member of Borland, who confirmed the girl was with him.

Detectives then learned Borland was driving to California with the missing girl. On March 15, they learned Borland was at a motel in Westminster, California.

Westminster police found Borland and the missing girl at the motel, according to the statement. Borland had two loaded handguns, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Borland, of the 39800 block of Torry Lane in Beach Park, was charged by authorities in California with unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, willful cruelty to a child likely to produce great bodily injury or death, child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of falsified identification.

Criminal charges against Borland in Lake County are also possible, according to the statement.

As of Friday afternoon, the girl remains in protective custody in California, according to the sheriff’s office.