A missing girl has been found according to her family.
SAN ANTONIO — (Editor’s note: This missing girl has been found. We have removed her and her mother’s name from the article.)
The family of a missing 14-year-old girl says they fear she may be in danger after leaving her home in east Bexar County last weekend, and they are asking for the public’s help in finding her.
The girl was last seen Sunday, Dec. 7, at her home on Gastonian Mill, according to her mother. She said concerns escalated after reviewing her daughter’s social media activity, which she believes shows signs of possible grooming and exploitation.
“She is being groomed, yes, and I feel it’s something bigger — like a sex trafficking ring,” she said.
The mother said her disappeared shortly after she found a teenage boy inside her daughter’s bedroom and asked him to leave.
“He ran out the door, and then I went back to get my phone, and my daughter ran out,” she said.
The mother said her daughter’s phone has since been turned off. However, she was able to access messages on an older phone that was linked to her daughter’s current device. Some of those messages, she said, raised serious red flags.
“My daughter would send explicit photos, and that account would send a username, and it would say, ‘your next victim,’” she said. “There’s another message that says, ‘Uber, four minutes.’ I’m guessing that’s how the boy got to my house. Either she or he is selling these photos.”
She believes the boy who was with her daughter may have been attempting to recruit her daughter into sex trafficking.
Lori Wittmeyer with Search & Support San Antonio said that scenario is not uncommon.
“There are young people out there known as spotters that are paid to look for other young people that they could take advantage of and begin trafficking,” Wittmeyer said.
Wittmeyer urged parents to closely monitor their children’s social media use and have open conversations about warning signs and online safety.
The mother said her family has been tirelessly searching for her, handing out flyers and following up on any possible leads.
“It’s been nonstop, looking for any clue,” she said.
Fighting back tears, the mother made a plea directly to her daughter.
“Mami — just come home. We are all praying for you. We’re all waiting for you. Just come home. We love you so much,” she said.