Deputies said Christopher Michael Veit was arrested after the girl reported being held against her will at a Key Largo home.
KEY LARGO, FL — A 53-year-old Florida Keys man was arrested Sunday after deputies said a teenage girl called 911 from his Key Largo home and was found hidden inside a clothes dryer.
Christopher Michael Veit faces felony charges after the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a Miramar Drive residence about 11:45 a.m. June 21. The girl, who authorities said was from outside Monroe County, reported that she was being held against her will. Deputies said the case remains active, with child welfare officials notified and more charges possible.
Investigators said the girl told authorities she wanted to leave Veit’s home before he restrained her, took her cellphone and put her inside the dryer. Deputies found her there after arriving at the residence, the sheriff’s office said. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement that the case was “disturbing,” and deputies credited the 911 call with bringing officers to the house quickly. The girl was taken for medical care and later placed with a family member. Officials said her injuries were not life-threatening.
Veit was booked into jail on charges that include kidnapping or false imprisonment, interference with child custody and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Some reports also listed a sexual battery charge involving a victim between 16 and 17. Authorities have not publicly released the girl’s name, exact age or hometown, a common practice in cases involving minors and alleged sexual abuse. Deputies also have not said how the girl and Veit knew each other. Investigators said they learned there had been ongoing sexual activity between the two, but the full timeline and circumstances remain under investigation.
The arrest drew attention across South Florida because of where deputies said they found the teen and because the case involved a home in Key Largo, a community better known for tourism, boating and access to the upper Florida Keys. Miramar Drive is in Monroe County, where local law enforcement often covers wide areas spread across islands and causeways. The sheriff’s office said the victim was from outside the county, adding another layer to the investigation because deputies must determine how she got to the home, how long she had been there and whether anyone else had contact with her before the 911 call.
Detectives later collected evidence from the home, including several sheets of suspected counterfeit currency, authorities said. The U.S. Secret Service was notified because that agency investigates counterfeit money cases. The Florida Department of Children and Families also was contacted after the teen was found. Those steps show the case now involves more than one agency, with local detectives handling the alleged restraint and sex-crime accusations while state child welfare officials and federal investigators review separate parts of the evidence. Court records and future filings are expected to give a fuller account of the allegations.
Veit remained in custody after his arrest, with reports listing bond at $650,000. The criminal case is in its early stages, and prosecutors will decide which charges move forward after reviewing reports, witness statements, medical findings and physical evidence. Authorities said additional charges could be filed. Veit has not been convicted in the case, and the charges are allegations unless proved in court. No attorney statement was available in the immediate reports reviewed. The next major step is expected to be the filing of formal charging documents and future court appearances in Monroe County.
The rescue began with a call from the girl herself, according to deputies, and ended with officers entering the home and finding her in the appliance. Officials have released few details about what was said during the 911 call, how long the call lasted or whether the girl was able to stay on the line until help arrived. Neighbors and local officials were not broadly quoted in the first reports, leaving the official account from the sheriff’s office as the main public record. The girl’s family status after her release to a relative was not described in detail.
The case remained open Friday as Monroe County detectives continued reviewing evidence from the Key Largo home. The next public milestones are expected through court filings, any added charges and updates from investigators handling the child welfare and counterfeit currency reviews.
Author note: Last updated June 26, 2026.