Ohio
A missing 12-year-old Georgia girl is found in Ohio after her community galvanized to locate her
ATLANTA — A 12-year-old girl whose disappearance galvanized a Georgia community has been found in Ohio.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said Friday that Maria Gomez-Perez was found Thursday in Dover, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Cleveland, in the company of a Guatemalan man who is now jailed.
“I come to you with some very great news,” Couch told reporters in a news conference. “Maria Gomez-Perez has been safe in Dover, Ohio, and she should be on her way home here to Gainesville with our investigators within the hour.”
Gomez-Perez was last seen at the home of her father, Andres Gomez, on May 29 in Gainesville, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. She was reported missing a day later.
Her disappearance sparked a huge search, with local authorities and businesses offering a $20,000 reward. Volunteers canvassed the community looking for the girl and papered the area with posters, flyers and even billboards seeking the girl’s return.
Couch said investigators found Gomez-Perez had been communicating online with men, expressing unhappiness and saying she wanted to leave home. He said investigators believe Antonio Augustin drove to Georgia, picked up Gomez-Perez, and drove her back to Augustin’s home in Dover. While Couch said Augustin is 31 years old, Ohio jail records list him as 34.
“Let me be very clear on this: Maria is the victim in this case,” Couch said. “And remember, she’s 12 years old.”
Couch said investigators began to home in on Gomez-Perez’s location when she contacted her father using a new Facebook account last week, telling her father that she was OK and not coming home, and asking her father to stop looking for her. Couch said investigators used that message to track down the Facebook page’s internet address, leading them to a phone number associated with a home in Dover.
Four sheriff’s investigators traveled to Ohio this week and spotted Gomez-Perez at a city swimming pool, later arresting Augustin and recovering Gomez-Perez. Couch said Gomez-Perez was examined by medical personnel.
Tuscarawas County jail records show Augustin is being held on a rape charge. Jail records don’t list an attorney who can speak for him and officials with the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately return a phone call and an email seeking comment.
Couch said Georgia authorities will also be seeking criminal charges against Augustin.
Officials in Georgia had faced initial criticism in the search for Gomez-Perez, in part because the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded that her disappearance didn’t meet the criteria for issuing an Amber Alert for missing children. Many residents in the Gainesville area are Hispanic, coming to the city to work in its poultry processing industry, but most officials are not of Hispanic descent, which can create divides.
“It’s hard to put into words what we saw. I just really, really am proud of our community,” Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon told The Times of Gainesville on Friday. “Our Hispanic community just really stood up and made their presence known and said, ‘Hey look, let’s shine a light on this missing child.’”
Couch concluded his remarks with a warning to parents to watch their children’s online activity.
“Technology is a wonderful thing. It helped us locate Maria. But technology can also be used for evil. It’s why Maria was able to leave Gainesville with a stranger and travel nine hours away from home,” Couch said. “So please know what your children are doing and who they’re communicating with. They’re our most vulnerable and our most valuable citizens and it is our duty to take care of them.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s almost America’s 250th birthday, and many Ohioans may already be planning their celebrations.
Many of those celebrations may include the use of fireworks. Prevent Blindness Ohio is warning about the potential dangers associated with the colorful explosives in light of its sixth annual Fireworks Safety Week, which runs from June 28 through July 4.
In a press release, the organization cites the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in noting that there were 15 fireworks-related deaths and 13,000 injuries reported in 2025.
Most of the injuries were to hands and fingers, followed by the head, face and ears, with burns being the most common of all the injuries.
“The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that in the most severe eye injury cases, firework accidents can rupture the globe of the eye, cause chemical and thermal burns, corneal abrasions and retinal detachment — all of which can cause permanent eye damage and vision loss,” the release reads. “Fireworks-related eye injuries can combine blunt force trauma, heat burns and chemical exposure.”
The organization said it supports a ban on fireworks for all except licensed operators during public displays.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary. We urge all Americans to celebrate safely by avoiding consumer fireworks,” said Amy Pulles, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “Accidents happen even during firework displays conducted by licensed professionals, so please use caution when attending those as well.”
For those who decide to use fireworks during their celebrations this year, the National Safety Council has the following safety tips:
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“Never allow young children to handle fireworks
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Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
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Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
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Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
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Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
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Never light them indoors
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Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
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Never point or throw fireworks at another person
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Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
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Never ignite devices in a container
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Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
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Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
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Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
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Never use illegal fireworks”
Unless prohibited by local laws, Ohioans can discharge legal fireworks from 4 to 11 p.m. on July 3, 4 and 5, as well as the weekends before and after.
For more information on firework rules in Ohio, click here.
Interested in finding a Fourth of July fireworks show near you? Check out our list here.
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These real estate transactions were recorded in Marion County between June 12 and June 17.
City of Marion
336 Silver St., Marion; Jeffery A. Hallie to Cassidy Manley and Jamal Tyre Manley; $100,000.
597 E. George St., Marion; Robert E. Edens Jr. and Kristin Edens to Clifford D. Hall and Judith K. Hall; $100,000.
395 Park St., Marion; Robin Hirsch to Christian Jaimes Mejia; $165,500.
1007 Fariwood Avenue, Marion; Sherry D. Smith, Jerry L. Winget and Vickie L. Pinyerd to Tami S. McCarty; $149,900.
302 Silver St., Marion; Heaven M. Daniel to US Bank National Association; $44,100.
358 Nye St., Marion; Trever Rinehart to Daniel Murfield and Athena Murfield; $199,000.
538 Cherry St., Marion; Marry On LLC to Tylere Shuster; $150,000.
618 Irey Avenue, Marion; Keith A. Radebaugh to Brittany Marie Crampton; $125,000.
1138 Independence Avenue, Marion; Marion County General Surgery LLC to Independence Avenue Medical LLC; $215,000.
1950 Linda St., Marion; Ralph W. Smith Jr. and Betty J. Smith to Dawn Comer; $116,000.
555 Avondale Avenue, Marion; Angela R. Rivers to Prospect Endeavors LLC; $75,000.
523 Mary St., Marion; Frank Hoffman and Robin Hoffman to Crystal A. Bonsel and John H. Thacker; $175,000.
436 Thompson St., Marion; Shovel City Investment LLC to Duel Patrick Davidson; $47,500.
661 Adams St., Marion; Hideaway Properties 4 LLC to Crystal Lynn Hall; $85,200.
288 Chicago Avenue, Marion; Jeffrey L. Young and Kimberly M. Young to OpenDoor Property Trust; $179,900.
691 Bennett St., Marion; Steven Higgins, Larry Higgins Jr. and Shawn Patrick Higgins to Kyle R. White; $200,000.
Richland Township
5544 Tittlebaugh Road, Marion; John E. Morgan, Rebecca Sue Morgan, Bridget Corcoran and Patrick Corcoran to John E. Morgan and Rebecca Sue Morgan; $87,340.
Pleasant Township
2.345 acres on Gooding Road, Marion; 533 Farm Holdings LLC to Thomas Savage and Lissa Savage; $250,000.
4714 Larue Prospect Road S., Prospect; Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance to Allyson Fitch and Brandon Fitch; $260,000.
1552 Marion County Club Drive, Marion; WY Corp II to ABI Development LLC; $40,000.
Prospect Township
8323 Hughes Road, Prospect; Cole A. Hess and Cheyenne Hess to Kamryn Miah Jean Sutherland and John Daniel Yersavich; $415,000.
608 Water St., Prospect; EyE Homes Inc. to Mary Elizabeth Machingo and Jeffrey Paul Machingo; $305,000.
Tully Township
2946 Martel Road, Caledonia; Vincent L. Cleveland and Jo D. Cleveland to Carly Rene Bailey-Stultz and Dennis Stultz; $375,000.
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