A 28-year-old California man has been charged with kidnapping a 14-year-old Hamden girl he met online.
Nathan Salas, 27, of Merced, was arrested last month at the Sacramento International Airport and more charges were filed today when he arrived in Connecticut, police said.
The Hamden teen was reported missing on Aug. 19 and police determined that she had left her home shortly after midnight, police said.
A massive search began, which included resources from the Hamden Police and Fire departments, the State of Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police and members of the Community Emergency Response Team.
They searched the Lake Wintergreen and Paradise Avenue area, then the Federal Bureau of Investigation got involved and authorities identified a California telephone number from the teen’s telephone records, which led California authorities to Nathan Salas, 28, of Merced, California.
Members of the Sacramento Police Department detained Salas and the girl early on the morning of August 20 as they got off an airplane at the Sacramento Airport, police said.
Yesterday, Detective William Onofrio and Investigator Dennis Ryan flew to California to arrest Salas, who had waived extradition.
Salas arrived at Hamden Police Headquarters at approximately 1:30 a.m. today and was charged with kidnapping in the second degree and risk of injury to a minor.
He was detained at police headquarters on a court ordered $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court today.
