Missing North Miami Beach teen found in North Carolina returns home
By ELITSA BIZIOS, JESSICA HOLLY
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NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Florida (WSVN) — A missing South Florida teen who was located in North Carolina has returned home.
Police said 15-year-old Jeimy Henrriquez was playing a video game, Free Fire Max, when she began chatting with a stranger, Saturday morning.
She left later that night with the man and was not seen or heard from until Sunday.
“Know what you are doing,” Henrriquez said. “Don’t go with just any random person. It could be something dangerous, and something worse could happen. I felt really bad about it and I won’t do it again.”
“I’m happy that she’s back home and grateful to God too,” said the victim’s mother Ana Quintanilla. “She started crying when she saw me and we hugged. I know she regrets it.”
“This older gentleman, and I really use that word lightly, came to North Miami Beach and picked up this young girl” said North Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Rand.
Police found Henrriquez out of state after she called her mother, crying and saying she was far away.
“We went to get gas and he was with his friend, brother and sister-in-law,” Henrriquez said. “We were there a while and then left. I called my mom to tell her I was OK, and the next day I called her again to send her the address to where I was.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together to track her phone to North Carolina.
“This is a stark reminder during this holiday season that we have to be very mindful of what our children are doing on the internet,” said Rand.
Henrriquez now has a warning for those her age.
“To think about what they’re doing and to not leave home for someone they meet online,” she said.
She said she was not hurt but police are looking for the suspect(s) who took her across state lines.
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