After going missing for more than a week, Rosie O’Donnell’s 17-year-old daughter Chelsea was found Tuesday with an alleged heroin dealer she met on Tinder, Page Six reports.
Chelsea, who suffers from an unspecified mental illness and had stopped taking her medication, was discovered at the New Jersey home of Steve Sheerer, 25, who was arrested in 2012 for possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and child endangerment, per the Post.
“She is 17 and he is an [alleged] drug dealer, they met online, on Tinder. Chelsea is mentally ill, it is a parent’s worst nightmare,” said a source.
“Rosie is relieved that Chelsea is back but is frightened for her daughter, she is extremely upset that Chelsea was with this guy. He’s 25, a heroine dealer who lives with his mother,” the source continued.
A representative for O’Donnell said “Rosie is relieved to have Chelsea back safely, but is obviously very concerned about her well-being.”
Sheerer, who has been convicted of multiple drug offenses, first told officers Chelsea was not at his home. The teen was later found huddled in his attic with her therapy dog, Bear.
Police officers were able to track Chelsea through her burner phone.
The officer who found Chelsea said there is no evidence Sheerer and Chelsea had sexual contact, or that a crime had been committed.
“I wouldn’t say he was a boyfriend, more of an acquaintance. She stayed there a few nights and she has stayed elsewhere, but she wouldn’t tell me where,” said Officer Nicholas Dapuzzo.
“I couldn’t say they were sexually involved. But they met through Tinder sometime in July,” Dapuzzo added, while stating Chelsea did not want to go home.
Rosie tweeted a story Wednesday from Sheerer’s 2012 arrest, when he was found with a woman who had heroin on her, while her small children were riding in the back seat of the vehicle.
After searching Sheerer’s home, police found heroin, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, according to a report.
A few hours later, Rosie shared another tweet, saying “no mom is perfect – we all do our best.”