Authorities on Monday released new details in the rescue of a 12-year-old Hall County girl who was the subject of a nationwide Amber Alert.
Brooklyn Smith, who had been missing since July 27, was found safe about 2:30 a.m. Sunday at a Scottish Inn in McDonough and turned over to the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services, Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam said.
DFCS workers were evaluating Brooklyn on Monday, according to Channel 2 Action News.
During the 11 days she was missing, Brooklyn called her mother and local television stations and said she was with unidentified friends. Her father, 31-year-old Steven Keith Spires, also called Channel 2 to say he was not with Brooklyn, but knew she was safe.
“She’s probably safer now than where she was before,” Spires said.
Authorities suspected all along Brooklyn was actually with her father and the father’s girlfriend.
“She’ll lie for him,” Selena Smith, Brooklyn’s mother, told Channel 2. “She’ll protect him. And she called the news and said, ‘I’m not with my dad. I’m with friends.’ And obviously, that wasn’t true.”
Smith and Spires are in the middle of a custody dispute, the television station reported. He had an active warrant for interference with custody, according to Channel 2.
When authorities followed up on an anonymous tip, they found Brooklyn, Spires and the girlfriend in the hotel, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said. Spires “initially refused to exit the hotel room” and there was a brief standoff, Beam said.
Spires eventually surrendered without incident. Sheriff’s officials and McDonough police arrested him on several warrants out of Spalding County. He is being held at the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center on multiple charges, Beam said.
His 19-year-old girlfriend, Carmen Clay, was arrested on a charge of interference with custody.
Brooklyn’s mother said she was relieved.
“It’s just so awesome,” Smith told Channel 2. “I can breathe again knowing she’s safe.”
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