A Texas man has been arrested and charged in connection with the disappearance of a Houston-area minor under age 13 who was missing for eight days before being found safe.
The girl went missing on February 22 from her home near Houston. Police issued an Amber Alert on Wednesday saying they believe she may have been trafficked.
When she first went missing, it was believed she had left on her own, a Houston police spokesperson told CNN.
But police obtained new information, which made them believe she might have been trafficked, a police spokesperson said.
Police also shared the girl may have been on a social media app called Tagged, but did not provide further details on what role the child’s possible presence on the site may have played in their investigation.
The girl was found unharmed 73 miles from Houston in Columbus, Texas, police said Friday. She was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital for evaluation.
CNN has reached out to FBI Houston for more information.
The child was one of around 460,000 children who go missing in the United States annually, according to the Department of Justice.
In a post on Facebook, Columbus police said they were advised Friday afternoon the missing girl was possibly within their city limits.
“Columbus Police attempted to detain Sirterryon Preston, 27, of Houston, Texas, in reference to having possession of the missing juvenile,” the post said.
Preston attempted to flee police custody but was captured and arrested, authorities said.
He was charged with evading and taken to the Colorado County Detention Facility. Further charges are pending further investigation by the FBI, according to police.
CNN has been unable to confirm if Preston has an attorney.
