RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The FBI has arrested a man now facing charges in connection with the abduction of 13-year-old, Aubrey Joelle Acree.
Investigators said Aubrey was found safe and alive Wednesday night just before 11:00 p.m. in Checotah, Oklahoma.
Jacob Gardea, 23, of Albuquerque, New Mexico was arrested in the case. He’s facing abduction of a child charges from the state of North Carolina.
In Oklahoma, Gardea is charged with forcible oral sodomy and lewd acts to a minor. He was scheduled to be in court on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
On Wednesday night, investigators released video of a vehicle of interest and tracked it down more than 900 miles away from her home.
“Law enforcement is grateful to a keen eyewitness who helped begin our investigative process with a strong lead that brought us to this joyful outcome," investigators said.
The FBI has notified Aubrey’s family and making arrangements to reunite them. Aubrey was reported missing by her mother after she was last seen near Harris Henrietta Road in Mooresboro.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the SBI, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles assisted in the search to find Aubrey.
