GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A missing Hall County girl was found hundreds of miles away in Ohio and deputies said she was with a 34-year-old man.
Maria Gomez-Perez, 12, disappeared from her driveway back in May. Her family has been searching for her ever since then. A message on Facebook that Andres Gomez' received from his daughter last week is what Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said helped investigators find her. Her father said he answered the message.
"I told her I was very worried. I wasn’t even thinking that it was her,” Andres Gomez said with a person translating his message from Spanish to English.
Deputies were able to take action.
“Members of our Special Investigations Unit were able to locate the IP address associated with the Facebook page and find the phone number associated with that account. They were able to track the phone to a residence back in Dover Ohio,” Couch said.
Investigators dispatched to Ohio and found the Georgia girl with a man they said she met online using Facebook messenger and other apps.
Couch said that in May, Maria Gomez-Perez messaged 34-year-old Antonio Agustin-Ailon, saying that she was unhappy and wanted to leave home. Agustin allegedly drove several hours from Ohio to pick her up on May 29. He is now in jail in Ohio and expected to face charges there and in Georgia.
Maria’s dad is thankful that she's been found.
“At this time, thank God that I did trust God that she came back and she’s alive,” said Andres Gomez.
Community members who stepped up to help the family search for Maria are relieved with the outcome.
“A lot of ties you get these results but it’s a negative result and we can conclude that she’s safe she’s alive, she’s here, she’s coming and she’ll be reunited with her father,” said family supporter Art Gallegos.
There is still more to be done with the case. Investigators plan to ask Maria Gomez-Perez more questions about her disappearance, while Ohio law enforcement will execute a search warrant at Agustin-Ailon’s home.