A U.S. Marshals task force and Danbury police found a missing, endangered child who authorities said was trafficked and arrested a Danbury man suspected of assault.
The U.S. Marshals Service said the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Danbury Police Departments found the child Wednesday morning and 35-year-old Wayne Marcell, of Danbury, was arrested at 8:30 a.m. and charged with first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor.
The investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service said, stems from “Operation Not Forgotten 2021,” a two-week operation the U.S. Marshals Service Missing Child Unit led in the metro Atlanta area that recovered 20 endangered missing children.
Stories from LX News
LX, or Local X stands, for the exponential possibilities of storytelling in our communities.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
“The U.S. Marshals Service in the District of Connecticut would like to commend the hard work and dedication of all the law enforcement professionals involved in this case,” Lawrence Bobnick, U.S. Marshal for the District of Connecticut said in a statement. “With its nationwide reach and investigative focus, the USMS appreciates opportunities such as this case to rescue innocent victims from their abductors.”
The U.S. Marshals Service said that of the 20 recovered, 16 of the children were suspected victims of sex trafficking.
