![Georgia girl, 12, missing since May, found safe in Ohio; suspect arrested](/static8/us/2024/07/26/georgia-girl-12-missing-since-may-found-ohio-suspect-arrested.webp)
"Maria had indicated that she was unhappy, and she would like to leave home," Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said. Agustin allegedly drove to Georgia to meet Gomez-Perez at her home May 29.
Investigators said a break in the case came last week when the girl contacted her father on a new social media account. She told him she was OK and to stop looking for her, the sheriff said.
Detectives tracked the IP address to a phone in Ohio. Agustin was arrested on suspicion of rape, but more charges are possible, Couch said.
"Technology can be a wonderful thing. It helped us locate Maria" said Couch. "But technology can also be used for evil. It’s why Maria was able to leave Gainesville with a stranger and travel nine hours from her home."
Fox News Digital has reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Agustin's legal status.