Photo: hall County Sheriff's Office
Authorities in Georgia have announced that a 12-year-old girl who had been missing for two months was located with a 31-year-old man she had been communicating with online prior to her disappearance. Maria Gomez-Perez of Gainesville, Georgia, was found “safe and OK” in another state on Thursday, July 25, according to a statement from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Maria was last seen at her home on May 29, police reported. On Thursday, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch confirmed at a press briefing that Maria was discovered with 31-year-old Antonio Agustin. While specific charges against Agustin were not detailed, Couch indicated that Agustin could face several felony charges for transporting a child across state lines.
Authorities believe Maria had been communicating with Agustin on Facebook and other online platforms. “Maria had indicated that she was unhappy and wanted to leave home,” Couch said, adding that she had also been in contact with other “adult males” online, sharing similar information with them.
“Let me be very clear on this – Maria is the victim here,” Couch emphasized. “Remember she is only 12 years old.” The investigation revealed that Agustin allegedly drove from his home in Ohio to pick up Maria from Gainesville on May 29, Couch said. It is believed that Maria stayed with Agustin at his home the entire time she was missing.
The case took a significant turn last week when Maria allegedly messaged her father, Gomez Alonzo, on Facebook, asking him to stop searching for her. Investigators said Maria had created a new Facebook account to send the message, informing her father that she was fine and would not be returning home.
Once Alonzo alerted authorities to the message, they were able to trace the IP address to a location in Dover, Ohio. This led them to find Agustin and Maria at a local swimming pool. Authorities from Hall County, working in coordination with officials from Tuscarawas County in Ohio, apprehended Agustin outside a shopping center and safely recovered Maria, Couch said.
As of Friday afternoon, Agustin was in custody in Tuscarawas County, and Hall County authorities are preparing to bring charges against him. The 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.
