Emanuel Jose Cartagena.Photo: Bell County Sheriff Department
Nine months after the sudden disappearance of a teenage girl from a Dallas Mavericks game, authorities have arrested the man accused of abducting and sexually trafficking her.
It is not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Cartagena allegedly met the 15-year-old victim outside the American Airlines Center on April 8, 2022, and then lured her to a house in the city, where he sexually assaulted her, police said in the release.
The girl’s parents, Kyle and Brooke Morris, toldCBS Newsthat the suspect struck up a conversation with their daughter as she was on her way to the bathroom.
The only lead authorities had at the time was grainy surveillance footage of a man in a yellow hoodie, CBS News reports, adding that the man has since been identified as Cartagena.
The victim was found 10 days later in an Oklahoma City hotel, where she had allegedly been drugged and sexually trafficked, the Morrises said, per the outlet.
The nonprofit Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative also helped in tracking down the teen after posting an online ad soliciting sex, according toESPN, which also reported how the girl was starved and not allowed to bathe.
While there, investigators arrested three other suspects, Karen Gonzales, Sarah Hayes, and Kenneth Nelson, on charges of human trafficking, conspiracy, and computer crimes,Fox 4reports. Two of them have since pleaded guilty and are serving prison sentences, according to CBS.
It is not immediately clear which suspect is still awaiting trial.
The Morrises expressed relief that a step toward justice has been taken, but acknowledged how difficult it has been to deal with the trauma.
“We hope that the other suspects related to her sexual assault in Dallas will also be arrested in the near future.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
