Missing Teen Girl Found 600 Miles Away with Older Man She Met Online

July 28, 2024 Justin Peters

A 12-year-old Georgia girl who disappeared two months ago has been found over 600 miles from home with an older man she met Facebook Messenger.

Maria Gomez-Perez was safely recovered in Dover, Ohio, on Thursday, eight weeks after she was last seen at her family’s home in Gainesville, Georgia, according to Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch.

The breakthrough came when Maria used a new Facebook account to message her father last week, assuring him she was fine and asking him to stop searching for her. Investigators traced the IP address to an address in Dover, where they located Maria with 34-year-old Antonio Agustin, at a local pool.

Officers from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and agents from Georgia tracked the pair to a shopping center parking lot, where Agustin was arrested. Maria was taken to a hospital for a wellness check and was en route back to Georgia on Friday morning.

Sheriff Couch expressed relief over Maria’s safe recovery and confirmed that investigators believe Agustin traveled from Ohio to Georgia, picked Maria up and drove her back north.

“Maria had been communicating with Mr. Agustin via Facebook Messenger and other online apps,” Couch said. “She indicated she was unhappy and wanted to leave home. She had also been communicating with other adult males online.”

Agustin, originally from Guatemala, is being held at the Tuscarawas County Jail and is expected to face charges in both Georgia and Ohio. “The last eight weeks have been grueling for our investigative team,” Couch said, thanking his team for their dedication.

A local business owner Norma Hernandez, who helped in the search efforts said that Maria’s father, Andres Gomez, was excited for his daughter’s return. “I’m so glad this nightmare is over,” Hernandez said. “They did a good job. It just took longer than expected, but we are excited.”

Maria, born in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, moved to the US with her father when she was six, while her mother remained in Guatemala. Andres Gomez explained that they left their home country due to extreme poverty.

At the time of her disappearance, Maria was a fifth grader at Lyman Hall Elementary. Principal Angel Rodriguez expressed joy at Maria’s safe return, saying, “I’m still in shock. I can’t stop smiling.”

Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon praised the local community for their efforts in keeping Maria’s case in the public eye. “Our Hispanic community really stood up and made their presence known,” he said. “They said, ‘Hey look, let’s shine a light on this missing child.’”

Sheriff Couch emphasized the importance of monitoring children’s online activities, noting that while technology helped locate Maria, it also enabled her to leave home with a stranger. “Please, know what your children are doing and who they’re communicating with,” Couch said. “They’re our most vulnerable citizens, and we need to keep them safe.”

Maria’s recovery came the same week that 17-year-old Penelope Wise was found living with a 44-year-old man who claimed to be her fiancé, two months after she ran away from her family’s home in Michigan.