Missing 12-year-old Georgia girl found in Ohio after community efforts to find her

A 12-year-old girl whose disappearance shook a Georgia community has been found in Ohio.

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said Friday that Maria Gomez-Perez was found Thursday in Dover, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Cleveland, in the company of a Guatemalan man who is now in custody.

“I have some very good news to report,” Couch told reporters at a news conference. “Maria Gomez-Perez is safe in Dover, Ohio, and she should be on her way home with our investigators here in Gainesville within the hour.”

Gomez-Perez was last seen at the home of her father, Andres Gomez, on May 29 in Gainesville, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. She was reported missing a day later.

Her disappearance sparked a massive search, with local authorities and businesses offering a $50,000 reward. Volunteers searched for the girl in the community, posting posters, flyers and even billboards in the area demanding her return.

Couch said investigators found that Gomez-Perez was communicating with men online, expressing displeasure and saying she wanted to leave home. He said investigators believe Antonio Augustin drove to Georgia, picked up Gomez-Perez and returned her to Augustin’s home in Dover. While Couch said Augustin is 31, Ohio prison records list him as 34.

“Let me be very clear about this: Maria is the victim in this case,” Couch said. “And remember, she’s 12 years old.”

How Researchers Found Gomez-Perez

Couch said investigators began tracking Gomez-Perez’s location when she contacted her father last week through a new Facebook account, telling her father she was fine and wouldn’t be coming home, and asking her father to stop looking for her. Couch said investigators used that message to track down the Facebook page’s web address, which led them to a phone number associated with a home in Dover.

Four sheriff’s detectives traveled to Ohio this week and spotted Gomez-Perez at a city pool. Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Capt. Adam Fisher told The Associated Press that Augustin was arrested and Gomez-Perez was found after Augustin drove the two from the pool to a Walmart in nearby New Philadelphia. Couch said Gomez-Perez was examined by medical personnel.

Fisher said Augustin is being held on a Georgia charge of custody interference, but that Ohio authorities could later file charges of rape and other crimes. Couch said Georgia authorities will likely file additional criminal charges against Augustin.

Augustin had not yet seen a judge on Friday and no bail had been set, Fisher said. Augustin does not have an attorney who can speak on his behalf, Fisher said. An extradition hearing to Georgia is likely next week, with Ohio authorities planning to charge Augustin after the Georgia trial concludes, Fisher added.

Fisher said federal immigration officials have taken Augustin into custody, indicating they may seek to deport him, but Fisher said he did not know Augustin’s immigration status. Augustin’s only previous encounter with Tuscarawas County police was in 2021 when he was cited for driving without a license and having an open container of alcohol.

Officials initially faced criticism during search

Georgia officials initially faced criticism in their search for Gomez-Perez, in part because the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded that her disappearance did not meet the criteria for issuing an Amber Alert for missing children. Many Gainesville area residents are Hispanic and come to the city to work in the poultry processing industry, but most officials are not Hispanic, a potentially divisive issue.

“It’s hard to put into words what we saw. I’m just really, really proud of our community,” Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon told The Times of Gainesville on Friday. “Our Hispanic community just stood up and made their presence known and said, ‘Hey look, let’s shine a light on this missing child.'”

Couch concluded his speech with a warning to parents to monitor their children’s online activities.

“Technology is a wonderful thing. It helped us find Maria. But technology can also be used for evil. That’s why Maria was able to leave Gainesville with a stranger and travel nine hours from home,” Couch said. “So know what your children are doing and who they’re communicating with. They are our most vulnerable and our most valuable citizens and it’s our duty to take care of them.”