Esthela, who is thankful for her daughter’s safe return, has a message for other parents
A man is facing a number of felony charges after a 13-year-old girl reported missing in Dallas two weeks ago was rescued from a locked shed at the North Carolina home where he was staying.
Richie Simmons, sheriff of Davidson County, North Carolina, said in a news conference Monday that his department was contacted by a special agent with the Texas FBI's Violent Crime Task Force late Friday afternoon about a missing girl from Dallas that was believed to be with an adult resident of Lexington identified as 34-year-old Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho.
Officials in North Carolina said during a news conference Monday that about 10 minutes after receiving the tip from the FBI they had eyes on the home where Camacho was staying in Lexington, about 60 miles northeast of Charlotte.
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The sheriff's department said they pulled Camacho over as he left the property Friday evening and a short time later found the girl locked in an outbuilding. The property owner said she allowed Camacho to stay there but said he did not live in the main house on the property and that she didn't know he had anyone else staying with him.
Simmons said investigators learned the girl had been communicating with an adult person through an unspecified social media site and that the nature of those communications was consistent with grooming and enticement and that the girl was encouraged and convinced to leave her home.
According to a missing poster shared online, the girl was last seen in Dallas on March 1. The Davidson County Sheriff's Department said video cameras near the girl's residence recorded a vehicle around that time that was registered to an address in Davidson County, North Carolina.
Following her rescue Friday, the girl, who appeared to be uninjured, was taken to a medical center for evaluation before being reunited with her family in Dallas. Because the missing girl is a juvenile and believed to be a victim of a sex crime, to protect her identity her name has been intentionally omitted from this story.
Simmons said Camacho is facing a number of charges including felonies for child abduction, felonious restraint of a child, human trafficking, rape of a person under 15, and indecent liberties with a child. Camacho, Simmons said, may face additional charges and is being held on bonds totaling $1.25 million. Camacho made his first court appearance Monday afternoon and was told by the judge that if he's convicted he faces life in prison without parole. It's not immediately clear if Camacho has obtained an attorney.
Simmons did not release any details about Camacho's criminal history, including whether he had a history of crimes against children. The investigation is ongoing and additional information will be released when available.
Simmons warned parents that cases like these are becoming more frequent and that parents should be doing more to monitor what their children are doing online.
"If it doesn't stop at home, it comes to the schools and the teachers have that responsibility. If it doesn't stop there it comes to us, unfortunately," Simmons said. "As parents, they've got to wise up and see that the danger to these kids continues to go on. Please help us out. I am very thankful. I thank God that we were able to find this young girl. It may not be that case forever."
The FBI confirmed to NBC 5 Monday afternoon they assisted in the recovery of the missing girl but had little information to share about the investigation since the charges against Camacho, at this time, are state charges and not federal charges. Should federal charges be filed against Camacho, those would be announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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