A two-month search ended nearly 600 miles from where it began Thursday as a 12-year-old Georgia girl was recovered in Dover.
Maria Gomez-Perez of Gainesville, Georgia was found with Ohio resident Antonio Augustin, 34, who is currently being held in Tuscarawas County Jail.
Augustin, who is from Guatemala, is believed to be facing charges in both Georgia and Ohio for his actions.
According to investigators familiar with the case, Gomez-Perez met and communicated with Augustin online, using online apps including Facebook Messenger. He then is alleged to have traveled to Gainesville, a city 50 miles northeast of Atlanta, and drove Gomez-Perez back to Dover.
Gomez-Perez’s disappearance sparked a frantic search for her after she was last seen on May 29 at the home of her father, Andres Gomez. He reported her missing the next day. Soon, billboards, posters, and flyers peppered the city of 42,000 people with a large Latino population. A reward that eventually reached $50,000 was also offered for the child’s safe return.
“The tireless work of our [criminal investigations bureau], law enforcement partners and the community has resulted in the best possible outcome,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said in a statement appearing in the Gainesville Times article written by Nick Watson. “Our prayers for Maria’s safe return have been answered.”
The break in the case occurred last week when Gomez-Perez contacted her father via a new Facebook account, telling him she was well and imploring him to discontinue his search for her.After Gomez contacted authorities, they were able to acquire the IP address and phone number associated with the account, which zeroed in on a Dover address.
Georgia investigators traveled to Ohio this week and were able to track Augustin and Gomez-Perez to a city swimming pool in Dover where they were spotted by law enforcement. Officers from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with officers from Hall County, detained Augustin in a nearby Walmart parking lot, recovering Gomez-Perez, where she was then given a cursory medical examination.
Gomez-Perez, who was born in Guatemala and moved to the United States at the age of six with her father, left for Georgia Friday morning.
According to Georgia authorities, Gomez-Perez had been in contact with several men online, allegedly complaining about her home life and expressing a desire to leave. Couch, in a press conference in Hall County Friday morning, repeatedly emphasized Gomez-Perez’s age, stating that she was a victim.
Augustin is currently being held on a Georgia charge of interference with custody, awaiting extradition. It is probable that he could face Ohio charges including rape while Georgia authorities are also likely to file additional charges.
