How Did Police Track Down Girl, 12, Who’d Vanished for 2 Months Before Being Rescued from Man in Another State? – MASHAHER

Maria Gomez-Perez went missing in May, when authorities allege Antonio Agustin — who is facing a charge of interference with custody — traveled from Ohio to meet her

Georgia authorities have detailed how they tracked down Maria Gomez-Perez, the 12-year-old who vanished for two months before allegedly being rescued from a parking lot with an adult man.

Maria had last been seen on May 29 before disappearing from her Gainesville, Ga., home, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last week.

On Thursday, July 25, Georgia officials, along with authorities in Ohio, rescued Maria from outside a Ohio shopping mall where she was found with Antonio Agustin, the sheriff’s office said. (At a press conference on Friday, July 26, police said Agustin was 31 years old, but in an earlier statement, they said he was 34.)

What broke the case was a clue police received from Maria herself, Sheriff Gerald Couch said at last Friday’s press conferece.

Maria’s father, Gomez Alonzo, received a message from a Facebook account claiming to be Maria, Couch said.

“She had created a new Facebook page so she could reach out to him,” the sheriff said, adding that Maria then told Alonzo “that she was okay and that she was not coming home.”

“And she also asked him to stop looking for her,” he said.

Related: Girl, 12, Was Missing for 2 Months. She Was Just Found with a 31-Year-Old Man She Met Online

Alonzo initially did not believe it was his daughter, he told 11 Alive. But, he told the girl he was “very worried.”

He subsequently notified Hall County police, per Couch’s statement. Investigators tracked the IP address of the Facebook page and the phone number associated with the account. They then tracked the phone to a residence in Dover, Ohio.

The day before Maria’s rescue, Hall County authorities contacted Tuscarawas authorities in Ohio to assist with their investigation, Tuscarawas County police said in a statement.

Tuscarawas County detectives promptly began investigating “using both traditional and technology-based surveillance techniques,” they said.

Hall County authorities traveled to Dover and tracked the phone to the Dover City Swimming Pool, where they allegedly identified Maria and Agustin.

The two allegedly got into a vehicle and went to a nearby mall, while being followed by law enforcement officers from both agencies, Couch said.

The officers rescued Maria from the scene and she was taken to a local hospital. Agustin was arrested and is awaiting extradition to Georgia, per authorities.

Couch did not detail Agustin’s charges but said he will be charged with “several felonies” because he allegedly traveled across state lines with a minor. Georgia authorities filed a preliminary custody interference charge, per Tuscarawas county sheriff, who said Georgia “will be given priority of prosecution.”

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Maria allegedly met Agustin online, police said, which Couch claims highlights the need for parents to be vigilant about child predators who use technology for “evil” purposes.

“Let me be very clear on this — Maria is the victim here,” Couch said.

Investigators learned Maria shared online that she was depressed and wanted to leave home. Agustin allegedly traveled from Dover in late May to meet her, police said.

An investigation is ongoing.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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