CAMP PENDLETON, Calif — Casaundra Perez wants answers about a U.S. Marine who was found inside a Camp Pendleton barracks with her 14-year-old niece.
The girl’s family says she was sex trafficked and raped. No charges have been filed in the case.
“She was raped by a Marine at Camp Pendleton. His identity is still unknown,” Perez said during a Monday news conference aimed at getting more information released to the public.
The teenager had been missing for more than two weeks when she was located inside a barracks on June 28.
Perez said military police interrogated the underage girl twice on base without permission from her guardian.
“We don't know what's going on. They have not provided anything,” said Perez.
“The family is saying that they believe their relative was trafficked, potentially purchased, and then ended up in the Pendleton barracks,” said Chloe Cheyenne, the founder of Community X, the group that organized the news conference.
On the date the girl was located on base, an unidentified Marine was taken into custody for questioning, but no charges were filed. He was released to his command pending the outcome of the NCIS investigation.
A report by the news organization military.com said the teenager met the Marine on the dating app, Tinder, and that she pretended to be age 22.
The girl's aunt said there is no mistaking her niece for an adult.
“There's no doubt about it. She looks like a child. Even if she puts makeup on she does not look like an adult. She's not even the size of an adult. It's very, very obvious she is a child,” said Perez.
An NCIS spokesperson emailed CBS 8 the following statement:
“I can confirm that the investigation into this matter remains active and ongoing. No charges have been filed at this time. Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation continues. As always, NCIS is committed to fully investigating any allegation of criminal behavior that threatens Department of the Navy readiness and the safety of children in the communities where our DON family live and work.”
Any crime that happened off base would be under the jurisdiction of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department or perhaps the California DOJ.
The family believes the girl may have been sex trafficked before she was taken to Camp Pendleton.
“The sex trafficking group involved in this case is separate and distinct from Camp Pendleton and the Marine. And there has been no investigation into that side of this case at all whatsoever,” said Cheyenne.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department emailed CBS 8 a statement saying, “There is an ongoing investigation at this time. This is a DOJ task force investigation and not Sheriff specific.”
Community X has set up an online petition calling for the release of more information in the investigation, including the Marine’s identity. Additionally, the group wants a protective order issued prohibiting the Marine from contacting the teenager.
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