In a recent incident, a Marine was apprehended after a 14-year-old girl, who had been reported missing, was discovered in the barracks of a California military base. Melissa Aquino, spokesperson for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, stated that military police at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside located the teenager on June 28, approximately two weeks after her grandmother reported her disappearance.
According to Captain Charles Palmer, the director of communications strategy and operations for the 1st Marine Logistics Group, an unidentified individual serving with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group was taken into custody by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) for questioning on the same day. The Marine remains in the custody of his command, although no formal charges have been filed yet.
Captain Palmer emphasized the seriousness with which the command is treating the matter and all related allegations. The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, in collaboration with the sheriff’s office, is supporting the NCIS investigation. However, inquiries about the human trafficking task force’s involvement from the state attorney general’s office have not been answered at the time of reporting.
The girl’s grandmother reported her missing on June 13, stating that she had run away from home four days earlier. Aquino revealed that although the girl had run away previously, she had always returned home promptly. The sheriff’s office entered the girl’s information into various missing person databases, including that of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
After being located, the teenager was reunited with her grandmother. Aquino mentioned that the detectives had interviewed the teen, and the family was offered services. Further details about the nature of these services were not immediately available from the sheriff’s office.
To safeguard the identity of the minor victim, the sheriff’s office does not disclose any information that could potentially identify her. NCIS spokesperson Jeff Houston stated that, out of respect for the investigative process, the agency refrains from commenting on or confirming ongoing investigations.
Lieutenant David LaDieu, the media relations director for the sheriff’s department, clarified that the investigation is being handled by NCIS, and the department’s involvement was limited to recovering the juvenile as she was reported missing from their jurisdiction.
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For those in need of support, Teen Line offers peer-based assistance provided by trained teenagers who are available daily to respond to calls, texts, emails, and messages on their board. They can be reached at 310-855-HOPE (4673) or toll-free at 800-TLC-TEEN from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Additionally, the National Human Trafficking Hotline operates 24/7 and can be contacted at 1-888-373-7888 or via text by sending “BEFREE” to 233733. Local authorities should also be notified if there are suspicions of trafficking.
