Mom Knowing Daughter's Facebook Password Saved Teen's Life, Rescued from Kidnappers
Many parents get criticized for “hovering.” They’re told to let their children be more independent and free, preparing them for life outside the home.
But this world isn’t the same one we lived in 30, 20, or even 10 years ago. It’s no longer safe to leave your keys in the ignition or your garage door open.
We have to be careful everywhere we go, for fear of human traffickers and other criminals just waiting to cause harm.
With technology and social media, traffickers have it easier than ever when it comes to finding their victims.
As it turns out, one mom’s “hovering” may have saved her daughter’s life. And it’s because Chameka Mengistu knows all of her daughter Jaliyah’s passwords.
Phone, Facebook, you name it. Mengistu made it a point to have a certain open door policy when it came to Jaliyah’s information.
Some might criticize the University City mother for this, but her experience in June shows this woman should be commended.
It was because of social medai that Mengistu was able to stop a crime against her daughter before it went too far.
When Jaliyah didn’t come home from summer camp, her mom didn’t worry too much at first. But, as time passed, she started to grow concerned.
“Maybe she’s just with a friend, maybe she just wanted to stay out,” Mengistu said. “But as time goes on and you have that bond you really feel that your child is in danger.”
Her intuition was spot on. She began investigating by going through all of Jaliyah’s social media accounts online.
It was thanks to this and an app that allowed her to track her daughter’s phone that led Mengistu to discover that the 16-year-old truly was in danger.
Jaliyah had been kidnapped by traffickers she met on Facebook. With the help of a friend, her mother was able to find her. The girl had been drugged, exploited and was clearly being held against her will.
Jaliyah is home now and police are continuing to investigate. Mengistu decided to speak out in hopes that others would heed her warning.
“I want to warn other parents!” she wrote on Facebook. “We are telling our story, to save as many lives as We can!”
Mengistu shared that the work is far from over, and her daughter has had to enter therapy as part of her recovery.
The family is struggling financially due to this incident as well as a surgery their epileptic son recently had to undergo.
They’ve created a GoFundMe page and are asking for help for their recovery and healing. Our prayers are with this family during this difficult time.
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