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NEW YORK CITY —
A 12-year-old girl from northwestern New York State whose disappearance on Wednesday triggered an Amber alert would be in New York City, and one of the two men she was seen with for the Last time is in custody and faces charges.
According to the authorities, 12-year-old Malaya Johnson traveled from Hudson Falls to Staten Island with George Torres, 19, from Navy Pier Court. She reportedly used social media to connect to Torres and asked her to pick her up after school on Wednesday to drive her to New York.
According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Johnson would have been seen leaving Hudson Falls Middle School and boarding a new two-door Ford Mustang red sedan on Oak Street around 3 pm.
Amber Alert described the car and the two men, who were all three on Thursday night. Torres reportedly left Johnson on the ferry from Staten Island, and is now charged with kidnapping and endangering a child's well-being.
NYPD detective chief Dermot Shea said Torres initially thought the girl was 18, but when he recovered, it became clear that it was wrong.
Neither Torres, nor the second man in his car, with whom he also walked, said they had an idea of Johnson's destination in New York. The other man was released after being interrogated.
The NYPD called a Level 1 mobilization to search the area, but Johnson was not located.
Hudson Falls Police Chief Scott Gillis said the police thought Johnson was a runaway and could be in imminent danger. Shea said that Johnson contacted her family and said that she was fine, but that she had not intended to go home.
Johnson is described as having long brown hair and brown eyes. She is 5 feet tall and weighs 115 pounds. She was last seen wearing light red jeans, a white tank top and a light-colored backpack adorned with a pattern.
His mobile phone was located Wednesday night near Sloatsburg, Rockland County, after his service provider agreed.
Johnson's case did not initially meet the criteria for an Amber alert, said Washington County Sheriff Jeff Murphy, but the decision was made Thursday to activate the system, while she could have be mounted in a vehicle.
Torres pleaded not guilty. He has no known criminal history, but due to the weight of the charges against him and his lack of connection to the community, the prosecutor has asked that he be kept in detention without a deposit. According to his lawyer, Torres is director of EZ-Pass on Staten Island.
Anyone with information about this kidnapping is asked to call the Washington County Sheriff's Office at (866) NYS-AMBER or to call 911.
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