Hamden Police Charge California Man With Kidnapping 14-Year-old Hamden Girl Last Month

The California man who allegedly took a 14-year-old Hamden girl on a cross country trip to his home state last month after meeting her on the Internet is now facing charges here.

Nathan Salas, 28, of 9021 Village Drive, Yosemite, California, was charged with second-degree kidnapping and risk of injury to a minor.

On Thursday Hamden Det. William Onofrio and Investigator Dennis Ryan took a flight to California to arrest Salas, who had waived extradition, according to Hamden Police Spokesman Capt. Ronald Smith. Salas arrived at Hamden Police Headquarters at approximately 1:30 a.m. Friday, Smith said.

Fourteen-year-old resident Emma Tobin was reported missing Aug. 18 after her parents discovered that she had left her home shortly after midnight, Smith said. Hamden Police, along with the Hamden Fire Department, State of Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police and members of the Community Emergency Response Team searched the Lake Wintergreen and Paradise Avenue area with no results.

Later in the evening, the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted the Hamden Police Department in identifying a California telephone number obtained from Tobin’s telephone records. The information led California authorities to the address of Salas.  

During the early morning hours of Aug. 20, Tobin and Salas were detained by the Sacramento Police Department as they exited an airplane at the Sacramento Airport, Smith said.

Onofrio continued the investigation, which led to the application of an arrest warrant for Salas, leading to his arrest Thursday.

Salas was held in lieu of $250,000 bond and is being arraigned today in Meriden Superior Court, Smith said.