A keen-eyed sheriff’s deputy in Florida may have saved a young girl’s life during a routine traffic stop. The deputy with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a man on US 17 near Crescent City on March 8, 2026. The driver, 37-year-old Joshua Magraff, was allegedly speeding at the time of the stop. the deputy’s body cam picked up the interaction with Magraff and his young female passenger. At first, Chewning had no idea he’d just found a missing teen who disappeared from North Carolina a month before.
@kourtwithkeshia #JoshuaMagraff #MissingTeen #BodyCamFootage #Florida #Busted ♬ original sound – KourtWithKeshia
Chewning wanted to know more about the young girl in the car.
In the video posted on social media by the sheriff’s office, Chewning approaches Magraff’s car and the pair exchange pleasantries. But when he notices the young girl in the front seat, Magraff’s demeanor changes. When Chewning asks for the girl’s ID, Magraff chimes in, telling Chewning the girl is his “little cousin.” Chewning then asks for her name, and she twice responds, “Huh?” This seemed to tip off the deputy that something wasn’t right.
The girl said her name was Brandy Lewis.
The deputy immediately realizes the name the teenager gave doesn’t belong to her, and he wants to know what made her get into the car with Magraff.
“The name and information you gave me doesn’t come back to anything,” Chewning says in the video. “So I need you to write your full name and your birthday right on the pad of paper for me. OK?”
Chewning then makes his way to the other side of the car to talk to Magraff again. This time, he has a much different story.
Magraff’s ‘cousin’ quickly turned into his ‘friend.’
Chewning didn’t buy the story about the cousin, and when Magraff then calls the 16-year-old his friend, he seems to disapprove of their “friendship.” The suspect ultimately admits he met the teenager in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that the pair then took off for Orlando, per the video clip. He says he hoped to find some arcades while in Florida.
@tonimcculleywatkins A routine traffic stop may have saved this missing teen. Authorities say the investigation is still ongoing.#breakingnews#missingteen#truecrimetok#joshuamagraff#viralnew ♬ original sound – Toni WatkinsGen❌CC-LiveHost🌻
The teen disappeared from North Carolina in February 2026.
The unidentified teenager’s mother reported her missing a month before Magraff’s traffic stop, according to WFSB. The day of his arrest, police allegedly found counterfeit $100 bills, synthetic marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia inside the car. Magraff faces charges of interference in child custody, possession of counterfeit currency, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The Department of Children and Families took custody of the teen until reunification with her mother in North Carolina, WFSB reported.
People praised Chewning in the comment section of the Facebook post for following his instinct and helping the missing teenager to safety.
“She doesn’t know it right now, but they just saved her life,” someone wrote. “Willing or not, she isn’t old enough to make those decisions on her own, and he knows better!”
We don’t know what Magraff had planned, but it didn’t seem like it could be anything good. Jail’s right where he needs to be.
