A missing Texas teenager has been safely located, and a suspect apprehended in St. Johns County, according to a social media post by the local sheriff’s office. The 16-year-old girl had been reported missing, and her recovery was part of a broader law enforcement effort to arrest 19-year-old Jesus Esteban Arellano, who had outstanding warrants in Texas for multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Deputies captured Arellano following a vehicle pursuit that ended when they executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the case was resolved last Saturday, leading to both the teen’s safe recovery and Arellano’s arrest.
The incident began when deputies identified a vehicle in the Durbin Pavilion parking lot linked to both the missing girl and Arellano. When the driver attempted to flee, deputies quickly executed a PIT maneuver, stopping the vehicle. Following Arellano’s arrest, authorities determined that, in addition to his outstanding warrants in Texas, he also faced local charges, including fleeing law enforcement and providing false identification.
Arellano was taken into custody and now faces multiple legal challenges. Along with the charges from Texas, he has been charged locally with fleeing or eluding law enforcement, giving a false name, and operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license, as he had never been issued one. These additional offenses are expected to prolong his legal proceedings across state lines.