A man accused of kidnapping a young girl from Hall County, whom he met online, will be staying in Ohio “for the foreseeable future.” Charges have been filed against him in connection with the crime.
In May, Maria Gomez-Perez, who is 12 years old, disappeared from her residence in Gainesville.
According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Maria connected with Antonio Agustin, a Guatemalan native, through Facebook Messenger and engaged in conversations with him and other adult men online. During these discussions, Maria expressed her dissatisfaction with her current living situation and desire to leave her home.
Agustin made the trip from his Ohio home to Gainesville on May 29 to pick up Maria and bring her back to northeast Ohio. Maria stayed there until recently when Agustin was taken into custody.
On Friday, the district attorney’s office announced that Agustin would not be extradited back to Georgia, contrary to the initial statement made by the Sheriff’s Office. As such, he will remain in Ohio for the time being.
Lee Darragh, District Attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia, stated that according to the available information, the most severe criminal offenses in this case happened in Ohio. Moreover, the majority of the required witnesses to prove a Hall County case are also located in Ohio. Therefore, it is logical for the suspect to face charges in Ohio first.
Sheriff Gerald Crouch of Hall County expressed his agreement with the prosecutors.
Sheriff Couch expressed his main objective in the case, which was to ensure justice is served. He stated that if it means waiting for the suspect to face their charges in Ohio before facing charges in their community, then they are willing to do so. The sheriff emphasized the importance of preventing the suspect from luring another young girl and causing harm to another community like the one they are currently dealing with.
At present, Agustin is in custody at the Tuscarawas County Jail located in Ohio.
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