A sailor was arrested last month after a missing 14-year-old girl was found in the barracks of a California base camp, authorities said.
Military police at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base in Oceanside, California, found the teen on June 28, just over two weeks after her grandmother reported her missing to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, according to Melissa Aquino, media relations officer. the sheriff’s department.
Capt. Charles Palmer, director of operations and communications strategy for the 1st Marine Logistics Group, confirmed in a statement that a «Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, unidentified 1st Marine Logistics Group was detained for questioning by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services», the law enforcement agency of the Navy and the Marine Corps, on June 28.
Palmer added that the Marine was detained and remains in the custody of his command, and has not yet been formally charged.
“This command takes this matter and all the allegations very seriously,” Palmer added.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force are also «supporting NCIS with the investigation,» said Aquino of the sheriff’s office.
Representatives for the California Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to inquiries Sunday morning about the involvement of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force in the investigation.
the news was first reported by San Diego’s NBC station KNSD.
According to Aquino of the sheriff’s department, the girl’s grandmother reported her missing on June 13, saying she had run away from home four days earlier. The grandmother also said the girl had run away before but she always came home quickly, Aquino said.
Authorities entered the girl’s information into missing persons databases, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, according to information from the sheriff’s office.
The teen was later returned to her grandmother, according to Aquino, who added that detectives interviewed the teen and «offered services» to the family. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a follow-up question seeking more details about what kind of services the family was offered.
The girl has not been publicly identified. A statement from the sheriff’s office said the department does not release identifying information on minor victims.
Jeff Houston, an NCIS spokesman, said in a statement: «Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment, confirm related details, or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations.»
Lt. David LaDieu, director of media relations for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, said in a statement that NCIS is in charge of the investigation and that «the only involvement we have had is the recovery of the minor, since she was listed as missing in our jurisdiction».Teen Line provides peer-based support of trained teens who are available nightly for calls and texts. Call 310-855-HOPE (4673) or toll-free 800-TLC-TEEN from 3 pm to 7 pm ET, or text TEEN to 839863 from 3 to 6 pm ET. Teen Line also responds to emails and has a message board.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline You can call toll-free 24 hours a day at 1-888-373-7888. Support is available in more than 200 languages. The hotline can also be reached by texting BEFREE to 233733. Authorities urge those who suspect trafficking to also contact local police.