NEW CONCORDIA — A teenage runaway who had recently been seen asking strangers for money near a community market has resurfaced in a considerably better position: wearing an apron and working.

People familiar with the situation said the girl had been living under the control of an adult man before reaching a women’s shelter.

The man was later found badly beaten in a residential neighborhood with severe injuries to both hands and his face. Police have not announced an arrest.

“I’m not saying whoever did it was right,” one market vendor said. “I’m saying his hands apparently won’t be doing whatever they were doing before.”

The teenager’s appearance at the market weeks later has prompted praise for local shelter workers and renewed criticism of the city’s ability to identify exploited minors before violence solves the problem first.

Youth advocates say stable work, housing and adult support remain critical for young people leaving dangerous situations.

Police, meanwhile, still have a violent assault to investigate — assuming they can find anyone in the neighborhood deeply motivated to help.