Global Courant
A Marine was detained last month after a missing 14-year-old girl was found in the barracks of a California base camp, authorities said.
Military police at Camp Pendleton — a naval base in Oceanside, Calif. — found the teen on June 28, just over two weeks after her grandmother reported her missing to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, according to Melissa Aquino, a media relations officer with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. sheriff’s department.
Captain Charles Palmer, communications strategy and operations director of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, confirmed in a statement that an unidentified “Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group has been taken into custody for questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services,” the law enforcement agency of the Navy and Marine Corps, on June 28.
Police take into custody a Marine at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California, on June 28, 2023, in connection with a teenager who had been missing for 18 days.@notinregz via Instagram
Palmer added that the Marine was detained and remains under his command, and has not yet been formally charged.
“This command takes this matter and all allegations very seriously,” Palmer added.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force “are also supporting NCIS in its investigation,” said Aquino of the sheriff’s office.
Representatives from the California Attorney General’s Office did not immediately comment Sunday morning on questions about the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force’s involvement in the investigation.
The news was first reported by San Diego’s NBC station KNSD.
According to Aquino, of the sheriff’s department, the girl’s grandmother reported her missing on June 13, saying she ran away from home four days earlier. The grandmother also said the girl had run away before but always returned home quickly, Aquino said.
Authorities entered the girl’s information into missing persons databases, including that of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to information from the sheriff’s office.
The teen was then returned to her grandmother, according to Aquino, who added that detectives interviewed the teen and that the family was “provided services”. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a follow-up question asking for more information about what kind of services the family was being offered.
The girl has not been publicly identified. A statement from the sheriff’s office said the department does not release identifying information about child victims.
Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS, said in a statement: “Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS is not commenting on, confirming details regarding, or confirming the existence of any ongoing investigations.”
Lieutenant David LaDieu, director of media relations for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, said in a statement that NCIS is handling the investigation and that “the only involvement we have had is in recovering the minor as she was reported missing in our jurisdiction .” Teen Line provides peer-based support from trained teens who are available to call and text nightly. Call 310-855-HOPE (4673), or toll-free at 800-TLC-TEEN from 3PM to 7PM ET, or text TEEN to 839863 from 3PM and 6PM ET. Teen Line also responds emails and has one Bulletin board.
The National Reporting Center for Human Trafficking can be reached toll-free 24 hours a day at 1-888-373-7888. Support is available in over 200 languages. The hotline can also be reached by texting BEFREE to 233733. The authorities are urging people who suspect human trafficking to also contact the local police.
