YUBA CITY, Calif. —
A 17-year-old Yuba City girl is safe after police said a Texas man groomed her online, traveled to California, and abducted her before leading authorities on a pursuit that ended with a fiery crash off a cliff.
The investigation began about 8:35 a.m. Sept. 27, when officers responded to the 400 block of White Rock Drive following a report that the teenager was missing, according to the Yuba City Police Department.
Police considered the girl at risk because of her age, an underlying medical condition, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
Officers learned that the teenager had been communicating with 26-year-old Cameron Childers of Texas, Yuba City police Lt. Michael Bullard said.
“They learned that the juvenile had been in communication with a 26-year-old Texas resident, and there was some suspicious communication that was going on,” Bullard said.
Investigators allege Childers communicated with the teenager through Discord for several weeks or longer. Police said he groomed the girl online before driving from Texas to Yuba City and meeting her the morning she disappeared.
“I do know that it was a matter of weeks, if not longer, that they were communicating through that app,” Bullard said.
Investigators track vehicle to Bakersfield
Detectives entered information about Childers’ vehicle into the Flock Safety license plate camera system, police said. Investigators then received information indicating that the vehicle was in the Bakersfield area.
“With the utilization of different investigative techniques like Flock cameras and some other things, they were able to track the 26-year-old Texas resident and learn that he had left Texas and came to Yuba City and was in Yuba City that morning and met up with the juvenile,” Bullard said.
Yuba City detectives alerted the Bakersfield Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the area.
When Bakersfield officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Childers allegedly drove away, beginning a pursuit through the Kern River Canyon toward the Lake Isabella area. The teenager was inside the vehicle, police said.
California Highway Patrol officers deployed spike strips, but the vehicle continued traveling before leaving the roadway and going off a cliff, according to Yuba City police. The vehicle caught fire after the crash.
Officers reached the wreckage and pulled Childers and the teenager from the burning vehicle, police said. Both suffered minor to moderate injuries.
“Law enforcement officers were able to get down to the vehicle and rescue the victim, who was located in the vehicle safely with minor to moderate injuries,” Bullard said. “The suspect was also apprehended and safely taken into custody.”
The teenager was rescued, and Childers was arrested within a day of the initial missing-person report.
Both Childers and the teen suffered minor-to-moderate injuries, police said.
In connection with the crimes related to the missing teen, the Yuba City Police Department said it issued a $100,000 Ramey Warrant for the following charges.
Aiding or encouraging suicide – 401 PCContacting a minor with intent to commit a specified offense – 288.3 PCContributing to the delinquency of a minor – 272 PCRape by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear – 261(a)(1) PCRape of a person prevented from resisting due to an intoxicating, anesthetic, or controlled substance – 261(a)(4) PCKidnapping to commit another specified offense – 209(b)(1) PC
Childers now sits in the Kern County Jail on Yuba City police’s warrant. Yuba detectives also worked with the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County District Attorney’s Office for the alleged crimes that happened in their jurisdictions.
Yuba police said it submitted its investigation to the Kern County DA for review and prosecution of the related charges.
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