Man Arrested After Finding Girl Missing For 8 Days In Texas

(CNN) — A Texas man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl from the Houston area who was missing for eight days before she was found safe and well.

The girl disappeared from her home near Houston on February 22. Police issued an Amber Alert on Wednesday saying they believe she may have been trafficked.

A Houston police spokesperson told CNN that when she first disappeared, she was believed to have been alone.

Houston police have issued an Amber Alert for 12-year-old Emini Hughes, who has been missing since February 22. Houston Police

But police received new information that led them to believe she may have been trafficked, the spokesman said.

Police also shared that the girl may be on a social media app called Tagged, but did not elaborate on what role the girl’s possible presence on the site might play in their investigation.

The girl was found in Columbus, Texas, 117 miles from Houston, police said Friday. She was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital for evaluation.

The girl is one of the 460,000 children who go missing in the United States annually, according to the Department of Justice.

In a post on Facebook, Columbus police said they were notified Friday afternoon that the missing girl was possibly within their city limits.

“Columbus police attempted to arrest Sirterian Preston, 27, of Houston, Texas, in connection with possession of a missing minor,” the post said.

Preston tried to escape from police custody but was caught and arrested, authorities said.

He was charged with escape and taken to the Colorado County Detention Center. More charges are pending further investigation by the FBI, according to police.

CNN has not been able to confirm whether Preston has an attorney.

CNN has reached out to the FBI in Houston for more information.