A 12-year-old Georgia girl who was found alive in Ohio on Thursday — nearly two months after her disappearance — was reportedly with a man she met online.
According to WSB-TV, Hall County, Georgia, Sheriff Gerald Couch said Maria Gomez-Perez was found with Antonio Agustin, 34, a Guatemalan national in Dover, Ohio. Gomez-Perez reportedly had been talking to Agustin and other men on Facebook Messenger, where she told him that she was unhappy and wanted to leave home.
In late May, Agustin allegedly drove from Ohio to Gomez-Perez’s home in Gainesville, Georgia. Detectives believe the pair drove back to Agustin’s home in Ohio, where they stayed for nearly a month.
Last week, Gomez-Perez used a different Facebook account to tell her father she was fine and to stop looking for her. According to the Gainesville Times, investigators traced the account’s IP address to Ohio — where they saw the pair at a Dover City swimming pool.
Police recovered Gomez-Perez and apprehended Agustin at a nearby shopping center. At the time, a $50,000 reward was being offered for the girl’s safe return.
Gomez-Perez is expected back in Gainesville, Georgia, today. Agustin will likely face criminal charges in two counties as prosecutors continue their investigation.
No other adults are expected to face criminal charges in this case.
