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Girl, 15, is rescued from pedophiles ten days after she was abducted and trafficked

Fact Checked by TDPel News Desk
By Samantha Allen

A 15-year-old Texas girl was rescued by police 10 days after she was kidnapped at a basketball game while using the bathroom, then trafficked by pedophiles.

The unidentified teenager’s father raised the alarm shortly after she left to use the restroom and didn’t return to her seat at a Dallas Maverick game in the American Airline Center on April 8.

The girl’s family said they pleaded with Dallas police to investigate but the department failed to do so due to Texas Family Code Laws.

Those treat missing teenagers as runaways unless there is evidence of kidnapping. It is unclear if cops made any effort to track down surveillance footage of the girl’s abduction, further details of which have yet to be shared.

The victim was only tracked down by Oklahoma City Police at an Extended Stay America Hotel after a counter-trafficking nonprofit found her nude pictures on a prostitution website.

‘My heart breaks for the unimaginable things my daughter had to endure for the 11 days she was taken, and I am so glad she is safe as we work towards her recovery,’ the girl’s mother said in a statement.

Eight people have been arrested in connection to the crime, Fox News reported.

They were identified as Saniya Alexander, Melissa Wheeler, Chevaun Gibson, Kenneth Nelson, Sarah Hayes, Karen Gonzales, Thalia Gibson, and Steven Hill.

Kenneth Nelson

The girl’s father immediately notified the stadium and security after the girl failed to return to her seat.

On the day of the abduction, she was seen leaving the arena with men.

The father was instructed by authorities to return home. Despite calling daily for an investigation to be opened, the family attorney said that Dallas Police refused to do any effort to find the girl.

‘My daughter went missing in the city of Dallas, this is a Dallas case, but they refused to open a case for her,’ the father said, local news station KFOR reported

Six days after the kidnapping, the family reached out to the Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative nonprofit, which tracked down the girl’s nude pictures on a prostitution website and alerted Oklahoma Police.

Dallas Police spokesperson Brian Martinez told DailyMail.com that the case had to be filed with the North Richland Hills Police Department, where the teen lives, because it was treated as a juvenile case.

In a statement to DailyMail.com the department said: ‘On April 8, 2022, an off-duty Dallas police officer working the Dallas Mavericks game was notified of a missing person at the game. The event and location was searched that evening.

‘Texas Family Code(51.03 b. 3) dictates that missing juveniles are investigated as runaways unless there are circumstances which appear as involuntary such as a kidnapping or abduction. Those cases per code are to be filed where the juvenile resides.

‘A report was generated by Dallas Police and Dallas Police assisted the North Richland Hills Police Department (lead agency as that was where the teen resided) and a bulletin about the missing teen was created and went out to the department on April 11, 2022.’

Naked pictures of the girl were posted on the website on April 14.

According to an affidavit obtained by KFOR, Karen Gonzales was the person who took the pictures. She has been charged with human trafficking and distribution of porn.

The victim was found at an Extended American Hotel in Oklahoma City – 200 miles from where she was abducted.

Police raided the hotel and found the girl and convicted sex offender Kenneth Nelson in a room that had been rented with someone else’s ID.

‘A number of these people played a role in getting this girl trafficked for sex, whether it was taking pictures as one of them did or simply placing ads as another one did,’ Oklahoma City Police Department spokesperson Gary Knight said.

‘There were several people involved with not only this girl, but others,’ he said. ‘But we did everything we could to find this girl.’

Chevaun Gibson

The heartbroken family of the girl has slammed Dallas police, the American Airline Center and the American Extended Stay hotel for not actively working to prevent such a traumatic experience.

Zeke Fortenberry, the family’s attorney said in a statement: ‘This victim’s life will forever be changed. We hope to hold accountable those responsible and create change within these organizations so that this never happens to any other child.

‘The systems and organizations involved in this case continually failed the victim. She should never have had contact with the man at the Mavericks game.

‘The Dallas Police should have worked quickly to investigate leads and locate the teenager before she was trafficked to Oklahoma.

‘The Extended Stay America hotel in Oklahoma City put profits ahead of people by turning a blind eye to the sexual exploitation occurring right before their eyes.’

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Samantha Allen

About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.