HANNIBAL, MO – In a dramatic early morning operation, Missouri State Highway Patrol officers apprehended five men accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl from Indiana. The arrests occurred after a series of rapid alerts and coordinated efforts across state lines.
The incident began around 2 a.m. on June 17 when authorities in Cass County, Indiana, received a report of a missing teenager. The girl’s father had seen her get into a black Dodge Durango with an unknown registration, prompting him to notify the Logansport Police Department.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the missing girl’s cell phone had pinged from a vehicle with Texas plates traveling westbound on U.S. 36 near Hannibal, Missouri. This crucial information was relayed to the Missouri State Highway Patrol by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
A vigilant Missouri state trooper soon identified an SUV matching the description and initiated a traffic stop. Inside the vehicle, officers found the missing girl, who confirmed her identity. Fortunately, authorities reported no evidence of sexual assault.
The five men in the vehicle were arrested and later identified as Marlon Aguilar, 44, of Honduras; Arturo Eustaquio, 41, of Mexico; Noe Guzman Hernandez, 24, of Mexico; Daniel Ruiz Lopez, 19, of Mexico; and Carlos Funez, 56, of Honduras. All were taken to the Macon County Jail.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed that the suspects are in the country illegally. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed detainers on all five men, who remain in custody without bail on felony kidnapping charges.