Deputies investigated a report of a relationship between Garcia Cruz and a juvenile that led them to Virginia, where they were assisted by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the Lynchburg office of the FBI in locating both Garcia Cruz and the juvenile, who is a 15-year-old girl from Honduras.
Garcia Cruz also was charged in Bedford County with contributing to the delinquency of a child, a first-degree misdemeanor.
The teen was placed in a sponsor’s home in Middletown by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to the sheriff’s office. Her sponsor also is an illegal immigrant and was the girlfriend of Garcia Cruz, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation into this matter continues in an attempt to identify whether the minor was a victim of human trafficking, the sheriff’s office said.
Garcia Cruz is in the custody of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and is awaiting extradition.
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