Missing Dallas Girl, 13, Found

A 13-year-old girl from Dallas, who had been reported missing, was discovered by police locked inside a shed in North Carolina belonging to a man who had allegedly groomed and lured her away from her family through an app. According to police reports, the man had enticed the young girl to leave her home and travel to North Carolina.

Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho, a 34-year-old resident of Lexington, is currently facing several felony charges following his arrest after a 13-year-old girl, who had been reported missing from Dallas for two weeks, was found locked inside a shed at the North Carolina residence where he was staying. 

The Texas FBI's Violent Crime Task Force had contacted the Davidson County Sheriff's Office on Friday afternoon to report the missing girl, who they believed was in the company of Camacho. Richie Simmons, the sheriff of Davidson County, North Carolina, provided details of the case in a news conference on Monday.

At a press conference on Monday, authorities in North Carolina revealed that they were able to locate the residence where Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho was staying in Lexington, just 60 miles northeast of Charlotte, approximately 10 minutes after receiving the tip about the missing 13-year-old girl from the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force.

According to the sheriff's department, they were able to intercept Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho as he left the property on Friday evening, shortly after receiving the tip from the FBI. Upon searching the premises, they discovered the missing 13-year-old girl locked in an outbuilding. The owner of the property, who allowed Camacho to stay there, stated that he did not reside in the main house and she was unaware that he had anyone else staying with him.

During the press conference, Sheriff Richie Simmons disclosed that the investigation had revealed that the 13-year-old girl had been in communication with an adult through an undisclosed social media platform. The nature of these communications, which involved grooming and enticement, had ultimately convinced and encouraged the girl to leave her home.

Missing 13-year-old Dallas girl found locked in shed 1,000 miles away

Online sources indicate that the missing girl was last seen in Dallas on March 1, as per a missing poster shared on social media.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Department disclosed that video footage captured by cameras near the girl's residence at that time showed a vehicle that was registered to an address in Davidson County, North Carolina.

After being rescued on Friday, the young girl was taken to a medical center for evaluation before being reunited with her family in Dallas. Fortunately, she appeared to be physically unharmed. Given that she is a juvenile and believed to be a victim of a sex crime, her identity has been withheld to protect her privacy.

Sheriff Richie Simmons revealed that Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho is facing several felony charges, including child abduction, felonious restraint of a child, human trafficking, rape of a person under 15, and indecent liberties with a child. Camacho may face further charges, and is currently being held on bonds totaling $1.25 million. 

At his first court appearance on Monday afternoon, the judge informed Camacho that he could be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if convicted. It is currently unclear whether Camacho has retained an attorney.

Sheriff Richie Simmons did not disclose any information regarding Camacho's criminal history, including whether he has a prior record of offenses involving children. As the investigation is still ongoing, more information will be released as it becomes available.

During the press conference, Sheriff Richie Simmons cautioned parents that incidents like this are becoming increasingly common and stressed the importance of monitoring their children's online activities more closely.

"If it doesn't stop at home, it comes to the schools and the teachers have that responsibility. If it doesn't stop there it comes to us, unfortunately," Simmons said. "As parents, they've got to wise up and see that the danger to these kids continues to go on. Please help us out. I am very thankful. I thank God that we were able to find this young girl. It may not be that case forever."

In a statement made to NBC 5, the FBI confirmed on Monday that they had provided assistance in locating the missing girl. However, as the current charges against Camacho are state charges rather than federal charges, the FBI did not have much information to provide regarding the investigation. If federal charges are brought against Camacho, they will be announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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