A highly publicized missing child case has ended with the recovery of a 12-year-old and the arrest of a 34-year-old man who was hiding her.
Maria Gomez-Perez vanished from her home in Gainesville, Georgia, on May 29th. Her disappearance sparked panic, with a $20,000 reward being raised for information leading to her. Her father, Andres Gomez, reported her missing. Multiple tips poured in, but none of them led to Maria until last week when the child herself allegedly contacted Andres.
Investigators say the concerned father received a Facebook message from someone identifying themselves as the missing girl. Maria reportedly told her dad she was okay but would not be returning home. The DM was sent from a newly created account. Andres notified police, who tracked the IP address to Dover, Ohio. They located Maria with Antonio Agustin at a swimming pool on Thursday, July 26th. He was arrested, and she was safely taken to be reunited with her family.
Andres spoke with 11 Alive after his daughter was found safe, where he expressed his gratitude and faith.
“At this time, thank God that I did trust God that she came back and she’s alive,” said Andres stated.
So far, Agustin has been charged with felony interference with custody, though more charges are expected. Police will also question Maria more about her time with Agustin. Investigators are making it clear that the young girl is a victim in this case and should be treated as such.
“Let me be very clear on this – Maria is the victim here. Remember she is only 12 years old,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said during a press conference.
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