Teen shares harrowing tale of abduction and trafficking from NBA game

DALLAS, TX – A chilling tale of abduction and survival has emerged from Texas, where a teenage girl was kidnapped and trafficked after a seemingly ordinary outing to an NBA game. In April 2022, 15-year-old Natalee Cramer attended a Dallas Mavericks game with her father, unaware that this would be the starting point of a harrowing journey that would change her life.

Struggling with anxiety and using substances to cope, Cramer’s night took a dark turn when she left her seat to use the restroom. It was in the bustling concourse of the arena that she encountered Emanuel Cartagena, a 33-year-old man who would soon become her captor. Without her phone and under the guise of smoking marijuana, Cramer was lured away by Cartagena, setting off a terrifying chain of events.

Cartagena took Cramer to a house in North Texas, where she was drugged and sexually assaulted. Her ordeal didn’t end there; she was eventually transferred to another group in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, her father, Kyle Morris, reported her disappearance to a Dallas police officer at the game. However, he was told to file a report with their local police, as the venue was located 30 miles away.

Cramer’s history of running away, often in search of attention, love, or an escape from overwhelming situations, complicated the initial investigation. Her parents, desperate for answers, hired a private investigator from Houston. This investigator uncovered that Cramer had been featured in online sex advertisements, leading to a breakthrough in locating her in Oklahoma City.

Cramer’s time in captivity was marked by fear and intimidation, as she recalled a haunting moment in a hotel hallway with armed men. Despite the stark contrast between her age and her captors, passersby failed to intervene, including a family with young children. Her family has since taken legal action against the Extended Stay America hotel near the Oklahoma City Airport, accusing the staff of neglecting clear signs of human trafficking.

The breakthrough came when an Oklahoma City police officer identified Cramer from a missing person alert. Her revelation of being raped led to the arrest and sentencing of eight individuals involved in the trafficking ring. Cartagena was apprehended by US Marshals in January 2023, facing charges of sexual assault on a minor. However, the case took an unexpected turn when a Dallas County grand jury chose not to prosecute him due to insufficient evidence.

Reflecting on her ordeal, Cramer expressed a mix of guilt and acceptance, recognizing that not all decisions were within her control. Now on a path to recovery, she is committed to raising awareness about the deceptive nature of such dangers. Sober and focused on her education, Cramer underscores the importance of mental health support, noting the absence of therapy and self-harming behavior at the time of her abduction.