E'minie Hughes, 12-year-old missing for a week, may be on a dating app known as Tagged
Missing 12-year-old might be on dating app
Houston Police Department reports the 12-year-old at the center of an Amber Alert, E'minie Hughes, might be on a dating app and is believed to be in the Missouri City area. FOX 26's Jade Flury has more details after she received surveillance video from neighbors.
HOUSTON - Missing 12-year-old Eminie Hughes was last seen a week ago and police continue to investigate her disappearance.
According to Houston police, new developments say she may be on a social media app known as Tagged and is believed to be in the Missouri City area.
The 12-year-old was seen walking along the side of her house on surveillance video and then getting into a dark-colored Dodge pickup truck. The truck turns around in the cul-de-sac and takes off with Eminie.
"With the surveillance video, she willingly went into the vehicle. So she knew, or she thinks she knows who she’s going with," said Jacquelyn Aluotto, the president of No Trafficking Zone. "The fact that she had a different type of digital device, and she was on a dating app, says that she’s on social media. She’s talking to other people that her parents aren’t aware of."
Investigators also believe she may be a victim of trafficking.
"Those can be clear indicators. A lot of times when children are being groomed, they don’t even know they’re being groomed or lured, so they’re a lot more willing," said Aluotto.
FOX 26 spoke with Eminie's mother on Wednesday. She said she's had trouble thinking straight and not trying to worry about a worst-case scenario for her child.
Houston Amber Alert for missing 12-year-old Eminie Hughes
"I haven’t eaten anything. I haven't been able to sleep. It's a lot," said Shannon Williams, E'minie's mother.
Williams said the last time she saw her 12-year-old daughter was inside their home on the 7700 block of Waterchase Drive on the night of Feb. 22.
The Houston Police Department is the leading agency in the investigation of Eminie's disappearance. Anyone with information on the child's disappearance should call HPD's Missing Persons Division.