BLANCHESTER —A Blanchester teenager reported missing three weeks ago has been found safe in Franklin, according to Blanchester police.

On Wednesday BPD Cpl. James Beckelhymer developed information indicating that Mark Cope Jr., 15, might be at his father’s home in Franklin, said BPD Chief Scott Reinbolt. On Thursday morning Beckelhymer traveled to Franklin and, with the assistance of police officers in that city, found Cope hiding inside his father’s residence on East 3rd Street, Reinbolt said.

Cope, who is on probation in the Clinton County Juvenile Court, was transported to the West Central Juvenile Detention Center in Troy by a Blanchester police officer, Reinbolt said.

“Cpl. Beckelhymer has been working on the case for the past three weeks, and during that period he developed leads indicating that Cope was in the city of Chicago as well as the city of Detroit,” Reinbolt said. “While we were not able to confirm that information, those cities are certainly no place for a 15-year-old to be running the streets alone.

“In today’s world, a 15-year-old runaway faces threats to his well-being that he might not fully appreciate. We are glad this case has come to a conclusion in which young Cope was found safe, uninjured and healthy.”

Reinbolt added, “We are grateful to all those, including adults and teenagers, who provided us with information that led to today’s safe conclusion of the case.”