Deputies say a Nebraska man drove about 1,500 miles and 22–23 hours before Georgia troopers stopped his SUV with the girls inside.
STUART, FL — Two sisters from Martin County were found safe early Sunday in Georgia after authorities say a 19-year-old man drove from Omaha to meet them following months of online contact through Roblox and Snapchat. The suspect, identified as Hser Mu Lah Say, was taken into custody without incident.
Officials said the case moved quickly from a missing-children call to a multi-state search once deputies uncovered messages planning an out-of-state pickup. The girls, both minors, were reported missing Saturday evening from Indiantown. By Sunday, Georgia troopers located a dark Honda CR-V on Interstate 75 and recovered the children. Investigators say the man first connected with the sisters on Roblox last summer, later shifting conversations to Snapchat while sending gifts, including food deliveries, to their home.
Deputies said the man left Nebraska on Friday and arrived in Indiantown around 10 a.m. Saturday. A family member spotted the girls that morning at Big Mound Park and brought them home, where they were disciplined and had their phones taken away, according to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek. That evening, relatives called 911 when the sisters could not be found. Detectives reinstalled Snapchat on a device and found an ongoing chat thread that outlined plans for the girls to be picked up and driven out of state. “We were dealing with a type of abduction,” Budensiek said. “I think we prevented something disastrous.” Investigators said a convenience-store photo from a Circle K in Indiantown helped them identify a car to broadcast to agencies along the northbound route.
Authorities said the Georgia State Patrol spotted the suspect’s SUV within hours and conducted a stop on I-75. The girls were inside and unharmed. Budensiek said the messages reviewed so far included romantic language but nothing sexually explicit; he emphasized that digital forensics were still underway on phones and tablets collected by detectives. The sheriff credited information-sharing among the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Florida Highway Patrol and Georgia authorities for the swift recovery. As of Tuesday, the suspect faced two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interference with child custody. Additional charges remained possible pending the forensic review.
Records reviewed by deputies indicate communication began in the summer of 2025. Investigators said contact moved from Roblox to Snapchat, where the man allegedly maintained frequent messaging and sent food to the girls’ home as part of what the sheriff described as grooming behavior. Detectives said the family had noticed “weird” deliveries before the disappearance. The sheriff’s office said temperatures dipped that night, adding urgency to a search that extended from parks and hotels in Indiantown to an alert sent to agencies along interstate corridors. The vehicle stop occurred early Sunday; the exact time was not immediately released. The sisters reunited with relatives later that day and were to be interviewed by child-protection specialists.
Company representatives said they were reviewing the case. Roblox said it was investigating and described safety tools that include content filters, limits on sharing personal information and age checks that default minors to chat with peers. Snapchat said it works with law enforcement and invests in features intended to protect young users. Neither company addressed the specific messages investigators recovered in Martin County. Budensiek said the suspect had no known criminal history in available records. The sheriff said deputies would seek a full timeline of contact through device logs, platform responses and any recovered delivery orders.
Authorities said Say left Omaha on Friday and drove 22 to 23 hours to Florida. The sheriff’s office said the girls were last seen locally around 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, and deputies arrived at the home about 8 p.m. The department broadcast a regional alert soon after, focusing on likely routes toward the Midwest. Troopers in Georgia intercepted the vehicle on I-75 and detained the driver without injury to anyone at the scene. Deputies did not release the precise location of the stop, citing the ongoing investigation.
Officials said Say is being held in Georgia while Florida authorities complete extradition paperwork. A first appearance in a Georgia court was expected this week, followed by transfer to Martin County to face charges. Detectives said they executed search warrants on the suspect’s phone and were preparing additional legal requests for platform records. The sheriff’s office said it would confer with prosecutors on potential additional counts once forensic exams of devices are complete. No hearing dates had been posted as of Tuesday afternoon.
Neighbors in Indiantown described a heavy law enforcement presence late Saturday as deputies canvassed parks, hotels and gas stations. Patrol cars staged near Big Mound Park while detectives traced digital breadcrumbs from home devices. “All hands were on deck,” Budensiek said, adding that deputies worked through the night while family members drove several hours to meet the girls after the Georgia stop. The sisters returned to Martin County with relatives on Sunday and were expected to resume routine medical checkups and interviews as part of standard procedures, officials said.
The case remains open. The suspect faces kidnapping and child-custody interference counts in Florida, with extradition steps underway this week. Investigators said their next updates would follow the device review and court filings. Authorities planned additional briefings after the transfer to Martin County. As of late Tuesday, both girls were safe with family.
Author note: Last updated February 3, 2026.