TAMPA, FL — A missing Tennessee juvenile was found in Florida after an interstate investigation that ended with the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect in Texas. Authorities said the case involved allegations of abduction and sexual exploitation as detectives worked across multiple states.
The recovery and arrest came after Hillsborough County deputies and other agencies tracked the teen’s movements and the suspect’s efforts to leave the country.
How investigators traced the teen to Florida
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office joined the missing-person case on July 28 after receiving information that the juvenile may have traveled to Florida. Deputies spoke with the registered owner of the suspect vehicle, who said his nephew, Edgar Perez Hernandez, usually drove the truck.
That lead took investigators to an address where the vehicle was believed to be parked. By the time deputies arrived, Perez Hernandez and the teen had already left. The sheriff’s office then turned the matter over to its Special Victims Section.
Teen recovered and reunited with her mother
Detectives later found and recovered the missing juvenile that same day. According to investigators, the victim said Perez Hernandez sexually abused her at multiple locations in several states, including in Hillsborough County, while traveling from Tennessee to Florida…