An Odessa High School teacher has been arrested on a kidnapping charge after a 15-year-old student who had been reported missing was located at the teacher’s home, according to the Ector County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said deputies received a call around 8:34 p.m. on Feb. 13 regarding a runaway 15-year-old female student from Permian High School. The caller reported the teen had attended school earlier that day but had not returned home afterward.
On Feb. 14, investigators received a tip that the girl had been seen at a local Chick-fil-A restaurant with a Permian High School teacher later identified as Tracie Anette Garza, 53.
Working in coordination with Ector County Independent School District officials, deputies located the student at Garza’s residence in the 4500 block of Viviana Drive, according to the sheriff’s office.
Following the investigation, authorities obtained an arrest warrant charging Garza with kidnapping. She was taken into custody without incident on Feb. 17 by Ector County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
Garza is currently being held at the Ector County Jail. Bond has been set at $25,000.
Officials have not released additional details about the circumstances leading to the charge, and the investigation remains ongoing.
As with all criminal cases, the charge is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
