Executive Summary
- Rescue Operation: Georgia State Highway Patrol rescued two Florida sisters, aged 12 and 15, and arrested a 19-year-old suspect.
- Criminal Charges: Hser Mu Lah Say of Omaha, Nebraska, faces kidnapping and custody interference charges.
- Digital Grooming: Investigators allege the suspect groomed the victims via Roblox and Snapchat starting in summer 2025.
- Interstate Coordination: Authorities tracked the suspect’s vehicle from Florida to Georgia to intercept the abduction.
Law enforcement authorities in Georgia have rescued two sisters from Florida and arrested a 19-year-old Nebraska man on charges of kidnapping and interference with child custody following an interstate manhunt, according to officials from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The minors, aged 12 and 15, were located unharmed early Sunday morning by the Georgia State Highway Patrol after investigators tracked a vehicle connected to the suspect, who allegedly met the victims on the gaming platform Roblox.
Hser Mu Lah Say, a 19-year-old resident of Omaha, Nebraska, has been taken into custody and is currently jailed in Georgia. According to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, Say faces two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interference with child custody in Martin County. Sheriff Budensiek stated during a press conference that the suspect allegedly drove from Nebraska to Indiantown, Florida, arriving on Saturday morning to pick up the siblings.
Investigators established that communication between the suspect and the minors began in the summer of 2025 on Roblox before migrating to the social media application Snapchat. Sheriff Budensiek described the interactions as a “grooming process,” noting that the family had observed unusual occurrences, including gifts and food being delivered to their home. “The family members suggested to our deputies that an individual on that app may be involved in these girls disappearing,” Budensiek said. A forensic review of the girls’ devices revealed a “constant thread of communication” coordinating the suspect’s travel to Florida to transport the girls out of the area.
The timeline of the abduction indicates the sisters went missing early Saturday evening. Although they reportedly left willingly, Sheriff Budensiek emphasized that their ages and the circumstances classified the event as an abduction, stating authorities believed they were “probably being removed from our area.” Law enforcement tracked the suspect’s vehicle and travel route heading back toward Nebraska, allowing the Georgia State Police to intercept the car and secure the children.
Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman issued a statement to ABC News confirming the company is investigating the “deeply troubling incident” and fully supporting law enforcement. Kaufman noted that the platform utilizes filters to block personal information sharing and has implemented age checks, though he acknowledged that “no system is perfect.”
Investigative Outlook and Legal Implications
The swift recovery of the minors highlights the critical role of digital forensics in modern abduction cases, where the analysis of electronic footprints often facilitates rapid interstate intervention. As the suspect is currently detained in Georgia, the subsequent legal phase will likely involve extradition proceedings to transfer Hser Mu Lah Say back to Florida to face charges within the jurisdiction of Martin County. This case further underscores the necessity of real-time coordination between local sheriff’s offices and state highway patrols to intercept suspects crossing state lines. It is important to note that Hser Mu Lah Say is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
