Here’s what we know about the Texas teen abducted from Dallas Mavericks game
The family of the 15-year-old who went missing at a Dallas Mavericks game said multiple organizations were negligent.
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A 15-year-old girl went missing after using the restroom at a Dallas Mavericks game on April 8, according to Dallas Morning News. The teen was later found a week and a half later, on April 18, and was being sex trafficked at an Oklahoma City hotel, police said.
The family recently spoke out through their attorney last week, saying the Dallas Police Department, the American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks, and Extended Stay America were negligent in preventing the situation from escalating. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Zeke Fortenberry, an attorney who is representing the family after the incident, sent a letter to all organizations to inform them the family is pursuing claims against them for their negligence.
When the teen went to the game with her father, Fortenberry said the father informed the police at the game when he noticed his daughter was missing. However, according to Fortenberry, the father was told to report the allegations to his hometown police in North Richland Hills.
The father said he called North Richland Hills Police that night. Fortenberry said NRH police weren’t able to help because, they said, the incident happened in Dallas. The Dallas Police Department told WFAA the off-duty officer at the game followed protocol and aided North Richland Hills PD in the search.
Fortenberry said the Houston-based human trafficking agency Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative was able to use its face-recognition technology to help break open the case. The agency helped the family locate their daughter within the same day, according to Fortenberry.
On April 19, the Dallas Morning News reported eight total people have faced charges in connection to the disappearance of the teen.
The Dallas Mavericks responded publicly on April 20, after the girl was found, with the following statement: “The American Airlines Center (and the Dallas Mavericks) are grateful that the teenager has been found. Both entities will continue to cooperate with local and regional law enforcement on this case.”
