The authorities in Virginia have arrested an illegal immigrant from Mexico in connection with the abduction of a 15-year-old Ohio girl on February 29, according to Fox News Digital.
The report noted that the Butler County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio on Tuesday that Isauro Garcia Cruz, 43, had been arrested on warrants for first-degree felony kidnapping, third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, fourth-degree felony gross sexual imposition, and first-degree misdemeanor interference with custody.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office reportedly posted to Facebook, writing: “The victim in this case is a 15-year-old unaccompanied female from Honduras. She was placed in a sponsor’s home in the City of Middletown [Ohio] by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS].”
“Her sponsor is also an illegal immigrant and was the girlfriend of the suspect Garcia Cruz.”
The authorities found the teenage girl on the 1200 block of Burnbridge Road in the Forest area of Bedford County, Virginia. The location is hundreds of miles away from where her home is located in Ohio.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating whether the girl was a victim of human trafficking, according to the report.
“It’s so tough when these kids come across the border by themselves, no parents, no guardians, boys, girls,” Sheriff Richard Jones told Fox News Digital.
The sheriff’s office said that the girl is an unaccompanied minor originally from Honduras who was placed with a sponsor in Middletown by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Cruz was believed to be the sponsor’s boyfriend when the girl was abducted, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
While the victim was initially placed in the care of a sponsor, reports noted that she was eventually put in her own apartment. After she moved into the apartment, Cruz still hung out with her, “stays with her, has sex with her,” Jones said.
The authorities were alerted to the situation after receiving a tip about the suspect.
Butler County ultimately tracked down the suspect and victim who were staying at a hotel in Virginia and contacted local authorities to arrest Cruz. The victim has since been placed in the care of another family, per the report.
“When you’re 15 years old … you’re not even driving,” Jones said, “and some 43-year-old man who’s here illegally hooks up with you.”
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