Texas man arrested in abduction of 12-year-old girl who was found safe after more than a week

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Stephan Sterns, 37, has been named a "prime suspect" in the investigation into the disappearance of his girlfriend's 13-year-old daughter, Madeline Soto, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

• Police in Texas arrested Sirterryon Preston, 27, of Houston, suspected in the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl who was missing for eight days.
• Preston was charged with evading authorities after attempting to flee from officers on Friday, according to the Columbus Police Department.
• The girl, subject of an Amber Alert, was found in Columbus, about 94 miles west of Houston, around 12:40 p.m. on Friday.

Police in Texas have arrested a man suspected in the disappearance of a girl who was missing for eight days before she was safely located.

Sirterryon Preston, 27, of Houston was charged with evading authorities after he attempted to flee from officers on Friday, the Columbus Police Department said in social media post Saturday.

The police learned around 12:40 p.m. Friday that a 12-year-old girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert search was in Columbus, about 94 miles west of Houston.

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The girl’s identity was confirmed and she was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for evaluation, police said.

A police car is seen in Houston, Texas. Police in Texas have arrested a man suspected in the disappearance of a girl who was missing for eight days before she was safely located. (Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)

The Houston Police Department issued the alert notifying the public about the missing girl after she was last seen on Feb. 22 getting into a pickup truck in the city, news reports said.

Preston was being held in the Colorado County jail with additional charges possible, pending an investigation by the FBI, the Columbus police said.

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A message left Sunday at a phone number listed for Preston was not immediately returned.

The arrest comes shortly after another abduction case involving a girl in the Houston area.

A memorial service was held Saturday for 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who was allegedly killed by a family friend with a history of violence.

Don McDougal was charged with capital murder in connection with Cunningham's death. Prosecutors say he was supposed to take her to a school bus stop when she disappeared Feb. 15. Her body was found Feb. 20 in a river near Houston.