The Hall County Sheriffโs Office (HCSO) acknowledged Monday the high level of community concern about the disappearance of 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez while defending its handling of the case, and emphasizing that it, too, is extremely concerned about the young girl’s well-being.
HCSO STATEMENT:
While ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง in this case, we would like to ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ we have read on social media and received via email and phone calls.
In answer to a frequently-asked question about the case, ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ขโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ญ. After a review of the facts of the case with GBI officials, the GBI determined that ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐.
1. Law enforcement officials have a reasonable belief that an abduction has occurred.
2. Law enforcement officials believe that the child is in imminent danger or serious bodily injury or death.
3. Enough descriptive information exists about the victim and the abductor for law enforcement to issue a Levi’s Call.
When Leviโs Call requests are denied, the GBI routinely offers and provides a Media Advisory. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ over the weekend with contact information for new information and tips.
To date, three tips have been received via 911 as a result of the advisory and HCSO social media posts. Law enforcement, including HCSO and the Gainesville Police Department, immediately acted on each of them with negative results in the effort to find Maria.
Many have made accusations that the Hall County Sheriffโs Office is doing minimal work in trying to find Maria. To the contrary, we have a team of investigators who have been, and are continuing to, diligently work this case. ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐. We know the community wants that, too.
One way you can help is by using proper avenues to report tips. ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. Instead, ๐๐ง๐จ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐-๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐; ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ (๐๐๐). ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ@๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ.๐จ๐ซ๐ .
You may certainly continue to use 911 or 770-536-8812.
Please continue to keep Maria in your prayers as we continue to investigate her whereabouts.”