A major investigation is underway for a missing teenager who disappeared earlier this month after being dropped off at North Augusta High School by her mother.
North Augusta police believe Belinda Sanchez could be in the Florida area with her 20-year-old boyfriend, Marlon Ronaldo Trochez, a Honduras immigrant. Belinda and her family are also immigrants from Honduras, according to family.
A missing-persons flyer was released by police on Tuesday. A report on the investigation reveals shocking details.
In a last frantic call to her mother two weeks ago, Belinda was crying and sounded scared before the call ended. While interviewing the girl’s friends, officers said Belinda may become the victim of human trafficking, according to the report.
Jesus Sanchez, Belinda’s cousin, said Tuesday that Trochez is in the country illegally and has been causing trouble in the community. He said he believes Belinda skipped school to be with her boyfriend, thinking she was just going to have a good time.
“She ended up getting taken by him, unwillingly, because she is a young girl,” he said. “I didn’t think he would do something like that. She would not leave with him forever without telling her mom.”
The mother, Loren Sanchez, has been living in North Augusta with Belinda and her two younger siblings. Jesus Sanchez said his aunt is broken up by her daughter’s disappearance and unable to work as the desperate search continues.
On Sept. 4, NAHS faculty and administrators told police that Ms. Sanchez was inquiring about the whereabouts of her daughter. She said she had dropped off Belinda at school at 8 a.m., but administrators said the girl had been absent from all of her classes.
Ms. Sanchez told police that Belinda had been involved with a 20-year-old man, who was identified as Trochez. She believed they were involved in a sexual relationship.
The mother tracked Belinda’s location on Snapchat maps to a trailer park in Clearwater, but she was unable to determine a street name before Belinda turned the location off. The girl also refused to return any of her phone calls or text messages.
On Sept. 5, Ms. Sanchez returned to police headquarters. She said she found out that Belinda was with another girl when they were picked up by two males, including Marlon Trochez, in a BMW at the park next to the high school. They were brought to Clarks Hill to go to a lake, but the lake was closed at the time.
“While they were driving, the male told the girls to put on a blindfold so they did not know where they were both going but (they) refused. … They hung out for a bit where the lake was before leaving and going to one of the subject’s sister’s house” on Dogwood Drive to pick up items.
Trochez came back and took them to Winburn Street. Later, he returned to the park near the high school to drop the friend off.
Trochez told the friend that “if she calls or mentions this to anyone, he would come back and harm her,” a report says.
Belinda later called her mother that night from a blocked number. “She was crying, sounded scared and stated she felt sick,” the report said.
The girl soon hung up, and her family has not heard from her since then.
On Friday, Sept. 13, officers talked to Belinda’s friend. They told the girl they believed “the missing juvenile may become the victim of human trafficking” and that she shouldn’t lie to police if she knows anything. The friend then began to cry and admitted that another friend was still in contact with Belinda and that they were all out of state.
Anyone with information concerning Belinda Orellana Sanchez, please contact North Augusta Department of Public Safety 803-279-2121, opt 1.
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