HESPERIA • Authorities located missing Hesperia teen Jessie Bender early Wednesday morning safe in Apple Valley, and investigators said she may have run away to avoid an arranged marriage in Pakistan. Posted on 03/03/2011 11:29:54 PM PST by Heatseeker
HESPERIA • Authorities located missing Hesperia teen Jessie Bender early Wednesday morning safe in Apple Valley, and investigators said she may have run away to avoid an arranged marriage in Pakistan.
The 13-year-old Cedar Middle School student and her siblings were removed from the Bender family home Wednesday, Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said.
“(A) family member was concealing her in Apple Valley because he was concerned that she would be taken to Pakistan and forced into an arranged marriage,” Bachman said.
According to authorities, the threat was plausible.
In earlier interviews, the girl’s mother, Melissa Bender, said the family was planning an eight-week trip to Pakistan to visit her current husband’s family, but denied that was the motive for her disappearance.
“She didn’t really want to go but she was fine with it,” Melissa Bender told the Daily Press on Tuesday. “I really don’t think the trip played a role in her leaving. She was actually excited to go shopping for the trip. I even asked her friends and they said she wasn’t upset about going so I really don’t think that was the reason.”
However, Bachman said when the family first reported the girl missing they told investigators she ran away because she didn’t want to go on the trip.
“Two days after the initial report was taken, the mother began to give investigators information about a possible Internet predator who was talking to her daughter,” Bachman said. That information turned out to be false. “She may have spoken to people through Facebook on the computer, but there was never an Internet predator.”
When detectives learned of the possibility the teen may have been in the company of a predator, they became concerned and stepped up the investigation, Bachman said.
Several law enforcement agencies — including the FBI, Chicago police and the U.S Marshal’s Service — worked to find the missing girl. It’s unclear if the family will be charged for all of the man hours put into finding the teen or if the case will result in any arrests.
No one was arrested as of late Wednesday afternoon.
“We will be forwarding the case to the District Attorney’s Office and it will be up to them to file charges,” Bachman said.
Officials with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Victorville office said they have not come across a forced marriage case.
Calls to Melissa Bender on Wednesday afternoon were not immediately returned.
Patrick Mitchell, the grandfather of one of Melissa Bender’s children, said he had been concerned for his own granddaughter’s safety when the 11-year-old would spend her court-mandated visitation with Melissa Bender.
“She gets her for one month during the summer and that entire time we were worried she was going to take our granddaughter to Pakistan, too,” Mitchell said.
Authorities could not confirm that Melissa Bender was attempting to take the 11-year-old Nevada girl to Pakistan as well.
When Mitchell learned Jessie’s uncle was hiding the young teen, Mitchell said he was pleased.
“I pat him on the back for taking her,” he said. “I think he’s the hero here and not the bad guy. I hope that something will be done about this.”
Get complete stories every day with the "exactly as printed" Daily Press E-edition, only $5 per month! Click here to try it free for 7 days. To subscribe to the Daily Press in print or online, call (760) 241-7755, 1-800-553-2006 or click here.
Beatriz E. Valenzuela may be reached at (760) 951-6276 or at BValenzuela@VVDailyPress.com.
Can’t really blame her for running away. I sure as hell would not want to go on a two month “vacation” to Pakistan. Let’s see: Door #1 is a life of being raped and beaten by an old man in a dirt poor country; door #2 is life in the USA as a teenager - pretty easy choice.
Sounds like a good case for emancipation. The mother should immediately lose custody.
Keep in mind, both parents passed a lie detector that there were no marriage plans.
Perfect pic and comment. Perfect.
Sadly, Door #1 is the fate of virtually all girls born under the islamic sword.
You didn’t comment on my tagline, which is also perfect.
Same here. Do those stupid women not understand that they become property of the husband??
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.