A chilling case that began with the disappearance of an underage girl with learning disabilities from the Spring Valley area in June took an uneasy turn when she was allegedly found in a barracks at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on June 28, the girl's family told NBC San Diego. The family is now demanding a transparent investigation into the incident to hold those responsible, accountable.
Following the girl's 18-day disappearance on June 10, she was found in the barracks at Camp Pendleton by military police, and her family claims that she could not have given consent for her actions as reported by NBC San Diego. A photo claimed to be related to the incident, shared on Discord and TikTok, showed a handcuffed Marine being escorted by military police on base on June 28. Captain Chuck Palmer of Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Logistics Group confirmed a Marine was taken into custody and questioned by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) about his involvement with the girl.
Note that the following video contains commentary information that has not been independently confirmed by Hoodline. The image of the Marine being allegedly taken into custody does seem to be included in the NBC San Diego report, though the original source is likely a chat group called NotInRegz on the messaging application Discord.
@janae_perfectlyflawed Marine at Camp Pendleton caught with tr’afficked 13 year old in his barracks room! @Casaundra Perez @TizzyEnt @jolly_good_ginger @Margot @Fiegle ♬ original sound - Janae
In a statement to NBC news, Palmer further provided details about the Marine's current status, stating that the individual has not been identified or officially charged as of Thursday but remained in the custody of his command at that time. While it is unclear if this Marine faces any criminal charges yet, the incident has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for a transparent investigation into the matter.
An underage #SpringValley girl with a learning disability reported missing on June 10 was found last week, inside the Camp Pendleton barracks, her family says.
— Bill Feather (@BFeatherSD) July 7, 2023
The base says a Marine was taken into custody for questioning by @RealNCIS on June 28.https://t.co/CUiPg0ZN4W
Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS, informed NBC San Diego that "out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment on, confirm details relating to, or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations." However, this has not stopped the victim's family from demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into the case in order to bring those responsible to justice. The girl's aunt, Cassandra Perez, has been vocal about her concerns and is urging the public to join their call for transparency and accountability.
“We hope you would join us in calling and demanding both release of details as well as the pursuit of justice," Perez told NBC News. Alongside the NCIS investigation, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is conducting a separate investigation into the girl's disappearance, highlighting the complexity and severity of the case.
