Jennifer Gould

A lead foot and a sharp-eyed deputy may have just saved a life after a routine speeding stop on US 17 in Crescent City, Florida, turned into a high-stakes rescue of a missing North Carolina teen.

Joshua McGrath, 37, of Charlotte, was hauled off to jail in cuffs after Putnam County deputies discovered his 16-year-old passenger had been the subject of a desperate month-long manhunt.

The drama unfolded when Deputy Tuning clocked McGrath's car flying down the highway.

When the deputy approached the car, McGrath immediately tried to pull a fast one,

First, claiming the teen was his little cousin.

Here's the body cam.

Listen.

The girl, visibly shaken, fed the deputy a string of bizarre lies, even claiming she was born in 2013, which would have made her a 12-year-old child, before eventually breaking down in the back of the patrol car and revealing she was a runaway from Gastonia, North Carolina, reported missing since February 16th.

McGrath's cousin's story evaporated instantly.

Replaced by a revolving door of excuses, a friend, he thought she was 19, and finally he insisted they were only in Florida to quote-unquote play gambling games.

But the gambling was far from legal because a search of the car allegedly uncovered 19 counterfeit $100 bills.

a stash of synthetic marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.

Authorities quickly contacted the teen's mom, who confirmed she'd never even heard of McGrath, fueling suspicions of a much darker motive for their multi-state journey.

McGrath is currently being held at the Putnam County Jail on a $9,000 bond, facing a laundry list of charges including interference with child custody and possession of counterfeit currency.

And more could be pending while the teen awaits a reunion with her family.

The investigation is ongoing.

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