A New Jersey man was arrested after an investigation found he was involved in the Feb. 8 disappearance of a 12-year-old girl in Spring Valley.
Spring Valley Police found the girl and three other missing children from other municipalities in the town of Clarkstown, at an address on Johnson Street in Spring Valley hours after her disappearance was first reported.
Report of missing girl in Spring Valley, then ransom call
Police said the girl’s parents reported she had gone missing in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 8. They told police that they had received a phone call from an unknown number who claimed they had their daughter, demanding $1,000 or her family would never see her again.
Sgt. Randy DiPaolo said local officers and the FBI NY-Westchester Safe Streets Task Force opened an investigation to find the girl, who was located along with the three other missing children. The children, who were familiar with each other, were all unharmed and did not appear to be held against their will.
Man provided kids alcohol at Spring Valley party
The continued investigation found all four children attended a party early Sunday at the Quality Inn Hotel in Spring Valley, hosted by Mynor Ramirez-Martinez, 22, of River Edge, New Jersey. Police found that Ramirez-Martinez provided alcohol to all four children, each of whom are under the legal drinking age of 21.
An arrest warrant was issued for Ramirez-Martinez on Feb. 17, charging him with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. He was arrested on Feb. 19 and later released on a desk appearance ticket.
The investigation into the ransom call remains ongoing.
Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to call the Spring Valley Police Department at 845-356-7400.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NJ man arrested in connection to 4 missing kids found in Spring Valley
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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