Florida ? A teenage girl who ran away to rendezvous with a high-risk sex offender she met online was found safe at a store 400 miles from her home on Tuesday, while the search for the 46-year-old man continued, a sheriff said.

Authorities had issued an Amber Alert, blasting photographs of the two and a description of the suspect’s car across the state after the girl sneaked out of her home early Monday.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd made a direct plea in a nationally televised news conference to William Joe Mitchell to leave the girl somewhere, and believes it worked.

“For some reason, he knew it was time to run,” Judd said. “And thankfully he didn’t murder her before he did that.” Mitchell, of Jacksonville, was believed to be armed with a handgun.

The girl, 15, was found at a Wal-Mart in the Florida Panhandle, the sheriff said. The girl told authorities the two separated when Mitchell took her in the store.

Mitchell left her in the clothing department and said to find him by the electronics in five minutes, Judd said. Mitchell told the girl he’d kill her if she drew attention to herself, but Judd said it was clear he meant to drop her off.