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FBI wants help finding man, underage girl
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More from Local NewsThe FBI released more details this week about a 20-year-old Ventura man suspected of fleeing to Mexico with an underage girl in December.
Andrew Joshua Tafoya disappeared with the 15-year-old girl Dec. 13, seven months after pleading guilty to having unlawful sex with her.
Authorities suspect Tafoya drove to Mexico with the girl in a stolen white Acura taken from a Ventura dealership in December. The car's license plate number is 6AXX928.
Tafoya was released from a court-ordered work furlough program Dec. 12. He disappeared with the girl the next day, according to the FBI.
Tafoya was first arrested by Ventura police on March 28, 2007, on suspicion of having sex with the girl. The Oxnard girl is a student at Buena High School in Ventura, according to the FBI.
Tafoya was sentenced in late June to 210 days in county jail and 36 months of probation. He was placed on a work furlough program as part of his sentence. Tafoya was ordered not to have contact with the girl and to not associate with anyone younger than 18 unless in the presence of a responsible adult, according to the FBI.
But the girl's mother told authorities in July that her daughter said she was seeing Tafoya even after he started serving his sentence, according to the FBI.
Ventura police said that one of Tafoya's friends had seen a letter he'd written the girl. Tafoya stated in the letter that he loved the girl and planned to run away with her when he was released.
Tafoya told the girl that "if they got caught, they could kill themselves together," an FBI affidavit states.
The girl's mother told authorities that she was dropped off at school about 8 a.m. on Dec. 13. She said her daughter was not at the school when she went to pick her up.
Tafoya is white and about 6 feet tall. He weighs about 190 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.
He is charged with child stealing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, vehicle theft and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Ventura police at 339-4416 or the FBI at 310-477-6565.
Posted by shaver_one on February 9, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
1. If she's an Oxnard Resident, why is she going to Buena High in Ventura?
2. This letter that Tafoya's friend had seen...When was it written? If he had seen this letter BEFORE Dec 13, should he not have said something to authorities? Or at least the girl's mother?
Posted by tockinglocs805 on February 9, 2008 at 5:12 p.m.
(This thread was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by FedUp on February 9, 2008 at 5:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tockinglocs805- once again, you come on here spewing nonsense. learn to type in english, instead of your usual ebonics for the next time please.
Posted by lrgvanman on February 9, 2008 at 9:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
tockinglocs805...why bring race into this?
Posted by travissgreen01 on February 10, 2008 at 2:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This guy is a real loser and makes me wanna puke!
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