Family of missing teenage girl at Mavericks game demands answers

A 15-year-old girl went missing in the middle of a Dallas Mavericks basketball game on April 8. The teenager was found at an Oklahoma City hotel 11 days later after nude photos of the girl were spotted in sex ads online. The girl’s family attorney is now demanding answers about her daughter’s disappearance from the eight suspects allegedly involved in a sex trafficking scheme, the Mavericks organization, the Dallas Police Department and an Oklahoma hotel.

Eight people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of the North Texas teenager. Oklahoma City Police arrested Alexander, Chevaun Gibson, Thalia Gibson, Karen Gonzales, Sarah Hayes, Steven Hill, Kenneth Nelson and Melissa Wheeler in connection with the Saniya case.

“Gibson is charged with offering to engage in prostitution; Nelson, Hayes and Gonzales are charged with human trafficking and distribution of child pornography; Hill faces rape charges; Gibson and Alexander have felony warrants; and Wheeler has a warrant out for robbery.” The daily beast reported.

Gonzales is accused of taking the illegal photos of the 15-year-old girl. Hayes is said to have watched the photos being taken and then posted them to internet sex ads. Nelson – a convicted sex offender – reportedly used a fake ID to rent the hotel rooms used for human trafficking.

The photos helped the Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative human trafficking agency in Houston locate the missing teenager.

The family initially asked the Dallas Police Department to help locate their missing daughter. However, the Dallas PD reportedly never opened an investigation, according to the family.

This was announced by the Dallas PD Fox News that an officer was searching the American Airlines Center for the missing girl. However, the DPD cited the Texas Family Code (51.03 b.3), which “requires that missing juveniles be investigated as runaways except in circumstances that appear to be involuntary, such as an abduction or kidnapping”.

“These cases per code must be filed where the juvenile resides,” the department said. “A report was prepared by the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Police Department assisted the North Richland Hills Police Department (lead agency as the teenager resided there) and a bulletin on the missing teenager was prepared and sent to the on April 11, 2022 department sent. “

“These cases per code must be filed where the juvenile resides,” the department explained. “A report was prepared by the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Police Department assisted the North Richland Hills Police Department (lead agency as the teenager resided there) and a bulletin on the missing teenager was prepared and sent to the on April 11, 2022 department sent. ”

Meanwhile, the Texas Counter-Trafficking Initiative tracked down the missing Oklahoma City teen that same day using facial recognition software.

Oklahoma City police found the missing 15-year-old at an extended-stay hotel in America — where law enforcement officials arrested him on March 18.

The victim’s mother said on May 5, “We are grateful for the work of the Oklahoma City Police Department and our daughter’s recovery. My heart breaks for the unimaginable things my daughter has endured over the 11 days she was kidnapped and I am so glad she is safe while we work towards her recovery.”

The victim’s family is demanding answers from the Dallas Mavericks, the American Airlines Center, the Dallas Police Department and Extended Stay America as to why they didn’t do more to protect the young girl.

Zeke Fortenberry – the attorney representing the family – said: “Our intention is to say [these organizations] for notice that we have claims against them for their negligence and other causes of action.”

Fortenberry issued a statement:

The systems and organizations involved in this case failed the victim time and time again. She should never have had contact with the man at the Mavericks game. Dallas police should have worked quickly to investigate leads and locate the teen before she was smuggled to Oklahoma. The Extended Stay America Hotel in Oklahoma City puts profits ahead of the people by turning a blind eye to the sexual exploitation happening right before their very eyes. This victim’s life will be changed forever. We hope to hold those responsible accountable and to bring about change within these organizations so that this does not happen to any other child.

Fortenberry criticized the hotel for failing to recognize a potential sex trade.

“If a 40-year-old man with a 15-year-old girl comes in and rents multiple hotel rooms and then there’s traffic in and out of those rooms, those are red flags,” Fortenberry explained.

Parents of trafficked girl are demanding answers from law enforcement officials

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