Orlando teen lured from Florida to Las Vegas via Snapchat, sheriff says

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings on Friday issued a stern warning to parents.  The warning comes after yet another child is lured away from home, all the way to another state by an adult online.

“You really need to understand what it is that your children have access too,” said Demings. "We are only as good as really the parents and other guardians at preventing, these types of actions from occurring in the future.”

The 14-year-old girl didn’t show up for school, instead deputies say went to meet who she though was her boyfriend she had met on Snapchat.

“It’s just scary because I mean I see her walk to school she’s just like any other little girl, she’s very sweet and innocent and says hi and you just wouldn’t think that someone could convince her to do something like that.” said neighbor Jackie Stewart.

Deputies say the so called “boyfriend” was really a 20-year-old woman --  Alana Baker, who deputies believe was posing as a teenage boy on Snapchat. Investigators say Baker flew all the way from Las Vegas, Nevada to Orlando to meet the 14-year-old at the airport, and then both of them flew back to Las Vegas.

“She’s communicating with the via the Internet and via social media in order to meet up with her,” said Sgt. Brandon Ragan.

Deputies say the 14-year-old left a letter in her room, which help them track her to Las Vegas, where deputies found her yesterday, it’s shockingly similar to the case of a missing 11-year-old girl last month who was found in Georgia with 24-year-old John Byrns who she met while playing Minecraft.