VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A search warrant outlines how two girls, aged 13 and 14, snuck out of a Virginia Beach home to meet up with guys they met online, but things quickly turned violent.
Now, an 18-year-old from Portsmouth is facing carjacking and abduction charges.
The teens first connected on Instagram, according to court records. The girls snuck out at around 3 a.m. to meet up with the boys near the Nauticus Circle back on July 29, 2024.
More from News 3 Investigates: Scam targeting Navy Federal customers costing victims thousands in Hampton Roads
The warrant states the girls went with two males to a nearby gym at the apartment complex, but when they felt uncomfortable and tried to leave, the boys blocked the door.
Records allege that one male pulled out a gun and demanded that one girl hand over her mother’s car keys. When she refused, it states one of the males hit her in the stomach with the gun, took the keys and allegedly stole the car.
The News 3 Investigative Team spoke to people who live nearby, along with the mother of one of the girls.
More from News 3 Investigates: Black mold was found inside Carrollton Elementary School, report says
One neighbor didn’t want to be identified due to safety concerns but said she is horrified.
“It makes me sick to my stomach. I know it happens all over the place, but to know that it happened right here in my neighborhood just makes me sick,” she said.
Police tracked the stolen car down in Portsmouth on July 31. It states the driver and two others fled, then crashed on Stratford Street.
Virginia Beach police say on Sept. 4, 2024, 18-year-old Rahquan Moore-Whittington of Portsmouth was apprehended and served the following warrants: three felony counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony, two felony counts of abduction, one felony count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, and one felony count of carjacking.
As of this writing, there's no word on any other arrests.
More from News 3 Investigates: Virginia unclaimed property generates millions for the state
The victim's mother said this was a terrible situation but didn’t want to comment further due to the ongoing investigation.
Lieutenant Kevin Lokey with the Virginia Beach Youth Services Unit said parents need to monitor who their kids are talking to online.
“The biggest thing is [to] stay involved, know what your kids are doing on their phone, on their computers. Try to keep the phones and computers out of their bedrooms… so you can monitor their history and see what they’re looking at,” said Lokey.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing at this time.
