Rialto teenager returned home after being kidnapped by New York man she met online
A Rialto family's pleas for the return of their teenage daughter, who had been kidnapped on her way home from school, were answered after a week-long search and the tireless efforts of one detective brought the 17-year-old home safely.
When their daughter didn't return home from school on April 30, they quickly reported her disappearance to authorities.
The case was immediately given to Detective Agnes Watson, whose relentless work revealed evidence pointing towards a New York man she identified as 24-year-old Elijah Clark.
"Detective Watson believed there may be some kind of foul play, or something was wrong," said Rialto Police Department Corporal Nic Parcher, while speaking with CBS reporters.
She learned that Clark had been grooming the 17-year-old girl for months via social media, and that they had initially met in California before ending up in New York.
Watson received a text message she believed to be from the victim on May 5, where she was able to deduce "that she was being held against her will and she wasn't allowed to leave and that she wanted to return home," Parcher continued to note.
After several failed attempts to successfully collaborate on an arrest, New York Police Department officers were finally able to locate the missing girl and arrest Clark on May 6.
Officers disclosed that Clark put up a fight prior to the arrest and has been booked on several charges, including: kidnapping, false imprisonment, injury to a minor, assault on a police officer and weapons charges.
While the family is overjoyed to have their daughter home, Corporal Parcher reminded the public, especially teenagers, to be extremely cautious when speaking with people online.
"Be wary of giving out personal information whether that's home address, school that you attend, even something as small as a vehicle with a license plate a photo of it," he said. "Something as small as that can give somebody an idea where you live and where to find you."