A 12-year-old girl who went missing from her home in Georgia in May was found safe at a mall, and her alleged kidnapper was arrested.
Maria Gomez-Perez was discovered in Dover, Ohio, which is about 600 miles from her home in Gainesville. Officials expect her to be back in Georgia by Friday.
Sheriff Gerald Couch praised the efforts of the police and the community, saying, “Our prayers for Maria’s safe return have been answered.”
Maria went missing on May 29. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office traced her possible locations to several states, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and Maryland, but didn’t find her. The FBI, Homeland Security, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and South Carolina Law Enforcement also helped in the search.
Maria was found with a 31-year-old man named Antonio Agustin. Investigators believe she had been talking to Agustin and other men on Facebook Messenger and other apps.
Maria had mentioned to the sheriff that she was unhappy at home and wanted to leave.
The case broke open when Maria contacted her father on Facebook last week, telling him she was okay and he should stop searching for her. The authorities tracked her location, found her, and arrested Agustin.
Agustin is facing rape charges, and he may face more serious charges.