NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A missing South Florida teen who was located in another state 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.
“This online [situation] of meeting strangers is a little scary, because you have no idea what you’re gonna get or where you’re gonna wind up,” said North Miami Beach Police Detective Zoila Simmons.
Henrriquez said she has hearned her lesson, and she offered some words of warning to other internet users.
“Know what you are doing. Don’t go with just any random person. It could be something dangerous, and something worse could happen,” she said. “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.”
Police found Henrriquez out of state after she called her mother, crying and saying she was far away.
“This is a predator that is online,” said Simmons. “He knew her age. That was never a question. “
“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 down.
“We continue to get locations over a period of those two days and to finally track her down in Philadelphia,” said North Miami Beach Police Detective Ingrid Cabrera.
Henrriquez took the opportunity to stress caution when interacting with a stranger online.
“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 or suspects who took her across state lines.
That’s the magic question. He crossed many state lines to pick her up in Florida to end up in Philadelphia,” said Simmons. “What was the purpose? We are still investigating that.”
“Thank you for everything. Now I’m with my mom, and I’m really sorry for making her suffer.,” said Henrriquez.
“I’m thankful to God, and with the police, who made the effort to find her. I thank God that we are together,” said Quintanilla.
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