What happened to E'Minie Hughes? Suspect arrested as missing Texas girl is found in Columbus

On February 22, 2024, 12-year-old E'Minie Hughes of Houston was reported missing. She was last seen that day at about 1:40 am in the 7700 block of Waterchase Drive. FOX 26 Houston reported that she was spotted entering a dark-colored four-door Dodge pickup truck wearing a white crop top and pink joggers.

Click2Houston reported that during her disappearance, authorities suspected that Hughes may have been trafficked by someone she met on the adult dating app called Tagged. The app is stated to be a social network for meeting new people.

After over a week of her disappearance, Houston Police announced that she was located unharmed in Columbus, Texas, which is about 73 miles and an hour and a half west of Houston along I-10.

Click2Houston reported that the Columbus Police Department identified the suspect in the 12-year-old's disappearance as 27-year-old Sirterryon Preston of Houston and took him into custody at about 12:40 pm on March 1, 2024.

---

An Amber Alert was issued for E'Minie Hughes during her disappearance

CNN reported that on February 28, 2024, an Amber Alert was issued by authorities who believed that E'Minie Hughes may have been trafficked. A Houston police spokesperson told the outlet that in the early stages of the investigation into her disappearance, authorities believed that the 12-year-old left of her own volition.

However, with the discovery of new information, authorities suspected that she may have been trafficked.

ABC 13 reported that neighbors' cameras captured the child entering the truck, which pulled up near her residence.

As per CNN, Tagged's parent company, The Meet Group, informed the outlet that they have contacted Houston law enforcement in order to offer help with the case. The company said:

"Our terms and conditions prohibit minors from using our apps, and we utilize both technology and manual analysis to help check for minors who may have registered for our platform using a false age. Should we be made aware of any attempts to circumvent our process, we thoroughly investigate any report involving a possible minor user or child exploitation."

According to the report by CNN, authorities did not mention any additional information on how E'Minie Hughes' suspected presence on the app may have impacted the investigation.

---

The suspect in E'Minie Hughes' disappearance tried to escape police custody

In a Facebook post, the Columbus Texas Police Department stated that on March 3, 2024, at around 12:40 pm, the department was notified that E'Minie Hughes was potentially in the City Limits of Columbus, Texas.

The department then tried to apprehend Sirterryon Preston in reference to having possession of the missing juvenile. However, the 27-year-old suspect attempted to escape police custody. Ultimately, he was arrested and charged with evading. He was transported to the Colorado County Detention Facility.

The Facebook post by the Columbus Texas Police Department mentioned that additional charges are pending further investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The 12-year-old was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital for evaluation.

ABC 13 reported that Columbus and Houston police were assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Colorado County Sheriff's Office, and Texas Parks and Wildlife.

According to the report by ABC 13, Houston police have not revealed the whereabouts of E'Minie Hughes while she was missing for eight days or disclosed any information about the events that occurred during that duration. The investigation into the case remains active and ongoing.