Kidnapping suspect journeys 9 hours to meet girl in Bakersfield

An 11-year-old girl from Bakersfield, California, who was reported missing and found in Utah, was discovered to have had an online relationship with an adult man. The relationship began on Snapchat, with the man being identified as a 29-year-old from Colorado. Court documents revealed that the man and girl exchanged inappropriate material through video chats.

The girl was reported missing from her home in East Bakersfield on Sunday morning, prompting a search by the Sheriff’s Office that involved uniformed deputies, search and rescue teams, and detectives. Upon searching a computer in the girl’s home, it was discovered that she had a relationship with the man from Colorado. The man traveled to Bakersfield and picked up the girl, beginning his return trip home with her.

Joshua Michael Stehle from Thornton, Colorado, allegedly threw the girl’s phone out of the car window to avoid being tracked by law enforcement. Documents showed that he gave the girl a promise ring, indicated he would marry her at 18, and claimed they were in a relationship after inappropriate touching in his vehicle. Kern deputies alerted officers along the route, leading to the man’s arrest on Interstate 70 in Salina, Utah.

The man was stopped in Utah, a gun was seized, and the girl was rescued and flown back to Bakersfield. Sheriff Donny Youngblood highlighted the importance of parents being aware of their children’s online activities in light of this case, comparing it to a similar incident involving the murder of 12-year-old Patricia Alatorre. Alatorre was killed by a man she had met through social media, who blackmailed her with inappropriate pictures she had sent before raping and strangling her.

This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of online relationships with strangers and the importance of parental supervision of children’s internet usage. Sheriff Youngblood emphasized the need for parents to monitor their children’s online behavior and be aware of the risks involved in engaging with unknown individuals on social media platforms. The quick actions of law enforcement in alerting officers along the man’s route ultimately resulted in the girl being rescued and the man being apprehended before any harm could come to her.