A missing and endangered 14-year-old girl who ran away from home and was picked up off the streets by a much older man is now safe after being recovered by Hope for Justice.
After her mom contacted us when her daughter first went missing, our investigators quickly established that there were many different reasons to believe she was at high risk of being trafficked. They coordinated with volunteers from among the girl’s family and friends to launch a search party, putting up ‘missing’ posters, canvassing the neighborhood and homeless camps, and reviewing footage from home security cameras and surveillance cameras nearby.
Hope for Justice investigators interviewed more of her friends and relatives to get the facts, and scoured online sources to track her down.
After several days of surveillance and research, someone who had seen one of the missing persons posters called their sheriff’s office and said they had information. Separately, Hope for Justice received information about a Facebook message that had also been sent and, together with police, recovered the teen and brought her home.
Hope for Justice established the key facts about who picked her up off the streets and why, and learned of other potential victims linked to the case. A police department with which we often work closely has now opened an official human trafficking investigation, based on this intelligence. We cannot share more information publicly while the investigation continues and for the protection of the 14-year-old girl.
We are continuing to support the family.
