MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — A man found in Arizona with a formerly reported missing 13-year-old from Albertville was been extradited to Alabama and has a court date set, according to documents.
Jail records show that on May 14, Raul Alexis Arellano-Romero, 32, was booked into the Marshall County Jail. His charge is listed as interfering with custody and has a bond set at $100,000.
The 13-year-old girl was first reported missing on April 19 after she was last seen in Albertville with her dog. In this missing person’s report, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office identified Arellano-Romero as a person of interest on April 29, stating that the teen was possibly in danger.
On April 30, MCSO said that around 9 a.m., investigators obtained a warrant for Arellano-Romero for interference with custody and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified and agreed to help with the case.
Then, around 9:30 a.m., the sheriff’s office received information from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona that Arellano-Romero was detained and that the teen was found unharmed.
NCSO said a Major Crimes Apprehension Team Detective stopped a vehicle traveling eastbound on I-40 near North Sun Valley Road for a civil traffic violation.
During the stop, the detective made contact with the driver, identified as Arellano-Romero, from New Mexico. NCSO said that while the detective was talking with Arellano-Romero, he saw someone trying to hide under a blanket in the vehicle’s front passenger seat.
When asked about this, Arellano-Romero said the passenger was a 19-year-old friend he recently met in Las Vegas and was taking her back to New Mexico.
The detective said he noticed inconsistencies in Arellano-Romero’s statements, that he looked nervous, and that he had signs of “deceptive behavior.”
NCSO said the reported 19-year-old gave a false identity and age. The sheriff’s office also said it looked like she had fake tattoos on her body, possibly to alter or conceal her real identity.
Upon further questioning, NCSO said the female disclosed her true name and age, revealing she was a 13-year-old child reported missing from Alabama. Detectives then contacted law enforcement authorities in Alabama, who confirmed that she had been missing since April 19.
The sheriff’s office said further investigation revealed that Arellano-Romero had previously been arrested in Massachusetts in 2024 for unlawfully removing the same child from her guardians’ custody. According to the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, he was released on a $20,000 bond.
News 19’s sister station, WWLP in Massachusetts, said that the investigation revealed that Arellano-Romero left his home in Alabama and drove to Springfield after talking with the girl online. Springfield police say that it is believed that they had previously met in Alabama, where the girl’s primary residence was.
Authorities believe that Arellano-Romero traveled from New Mexico to Alabama and again took the 13-year-old without lawful custody or consent.
Arellano-Romero was arrested and booked into the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Jail on a warrant with a $100,000 bond before his extradition.
Court records show that Arellano-Romero has a preliminary hearing set for June 18.
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