Case Involving Amarillo Teen in Lubbock No Longer Considered Kidnapping

New details have emerged in what was originally thought to be a kidnapping case that came to light over the weekend.

On Friday, July 19^th at around 9:30 p.m., Lubbock Police received a call from an Amarillo teenage girl needing help at the McDonald’s location at 50^th and Quaker.

The teenager said she was a runaway from Amarillo and had just escaped from a nearby residence, where she claimed to have been held against her will for around six weeks and sexually assaulted.

The investigation began, and the LPD SWAT team was called to the house at 4403 44^th Street Saturday afternoon, where the girl was reportedly held after she told investigators that the occupants may be armed and could barricade themselves inside the house.

Several people were taken into custody.

Lubbock Police say that at the time, detectives believed the girl’s statements to be credible, and that she was indeed the victim of multiple sexual assaults, as well as the described kidnapping.

Detectives originally believed that she was either kidnapped by an adult male in Amarillo or she was brought to Lubbock willingly, and then held inside the house against her will.

Police now say that while detectives believe that the teen was the victim of multiple sexual assaults, charges related to kidnapping are no longer being considered. Other criminal charges are still forthcoming.

There are also no further searches for additional victims, as the teen is believed to be the only victim involved in the case.

The teen has been released to her family in Amarillo.

The case is still under investigation, and as of Monday afternoon, no arrests or formal charges have been announced.