SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A 14-year-old girl reported missing earlier last month was found on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
On June 13, the girl was reported missing by her grandmother to the sheriff's office, according to SDCSD. A deputy with the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station responded to the grandmother's home in Spring Valley and took the report that same day.
SDCDS said the grandmother allegedly told the deputy that her granddaughter had run away on June 9. She had also previously run away but always quickly returned home.
The missing teen's information was entered into several missing person databases, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), SDCSD said. These databases inform other law enforcement agencies about the teenager's disappearance.
Family Protection Detail Detectives received the case for follow-up investigation and continued working on the case by following up on potential leads.
On June 28, military police at Camp Pendelton found the teen and informed the sheriff's department.
The Marine Corps released the following statement to ABC 10News:
“A Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group was taken into custody for questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services."
They would not discuss any other details.
The sheriff's department said detectives interviewed the teen, and she was returned to her grandmother.
Since Camp Pendleton is federal property, the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) is handling the investigation, SDCSD said. The Sheriff's Department and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force are supporting NCIS with the investigation.
