A 13-year-old girl missing for days from the Tampa Bay area was found with a South Florida man on Tuesday, authorities said.
The teenager disappeared from her home in Plant City, about 25 miles east of Tampa, when she left on Saturday without permission between 1 and 3 a.m., according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office listed her as an endangered missing juvenile, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a statewide missing child alert, NBC affiliate WFLA reported.
Four days later, she was found in Broward County with 38-year-old Edward Rodriguez, who authorities said she met online.
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Investigators say Rodriguez picked the teen up and drove her four hours to his home.
According to the arrest report, the suspect met her through a gaming app in April and had been messaging her for months.
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The teen told police she and the suspect were planning to run away together and live in his apartment forever, and that he told her he loved her.
Investigators say one message from the suspect to the teen stated that he was going to lock her in his basement so that no one could take her away. She also told police he kissed her mouth and throughout her body.
Rodriguez was arrested and faces charges of molestation, interference with child custody and providing aid to a minor without notifying a parent.
“We are immensely grateful that this young girl has been found,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “I want to extend my deepest thanks to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals for their quick and effective support. Our joint efforts have brought a young girl home to her family, and that is what truly matters.”
Rodriguez was being held on $32,500 bond. A judge ordered a long list of restrictions, including no contact with minors and the victim.
