With the help of technology, investigators say they were able to track the victim down and make an arrest.
SAN ANTONIO — Investigators say a teenaged girl kidnapped in West Texas has been safely recovered at a northwest-side San Antonio hotel.
Reeves County detectives say the 14-year-old girl disappeared from Pecos, Texas more than two weeks ago. With the help of technology, investigators say they were able to track her down and make an arrest.
Investigators say they used phone pings, social media and a high-tech license plate reader to track a California man to Motel 6 near Six Flags on I-10 in the La Cantera area.
Reeves County Chief Deputy Ernesto Lazcano said the technology they used was a vital resource in saving the girl.
“In this particular case, ‘Flock’ was instrumental in narrowing down the area in which vehicle might be located once a license plate was entered,” said Lazcano.
He says the tracking they did is now a crucial piece of evidence.
“Now Flock will be invaluable evidence on tracking the suspect to the point of meet and final location,” Lazcano said, adding the technology is something they use regularly.
“We’ve had great success in other cases that has helped us recover stolen vehicles and also locate violent criminals with felony warrants,” he said.
Lazcano said every clue helps.
“In one case last year within days of installation, we located a wanted felon in a stolen vehicle arrive at a local high school construction site and there are many more examples of successful Flock System assists,” he explained.
West Texas investigators said once the suspect’s car was found locally, San Antonio Police and DPS helped recover the girl.
Investigators said they found 36-year-old Trent Michael Furry from Vista, California in a room with the girl and that he surrendered without incident.
Detectives said the girl’s guardian told them Furry had been communicating with the girl online and the guardian provided a description of the vehicle the suspect was driving.
They said they were able to track the teen to the northwest area of town with pings from the victim’s phone.
A news release details how they knew they were close but when they couldn’t find the girl, they turned to the suspect’s social media accounts to get an exact location that resulted in success.
Reeves County investigators said Furry has been returned to their jurisdiction and is now charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and injury to a child. His bonds total $300,000.
Officials confirm the girl is now safe.
Investigators say the incident serves as a powerful reminder to parents to monitor their kids’ social media use to avoid kidnapping and possible human trafficking.