SMITH
A missing 13-year-old girl from Tennessee may have been last seen with a Clarkesville man who authorities in multiple states are now searching for.
The family of Jaylei Smith, 13, of New Hope, Tenn., posted a message on Facebook about her leaving her home in the early morning hours Tuesday with a man later identified as Devon Lovegrove, previously of Clarkesville.
Connie Barnes, the girl’s aunt, said she and other family members were searching in Atlanta and Clarkesville on Wednesday. In their Facebook updates, Barnes said they saw a video with Smith in it from a gas station on Georgia Highway 17. Clarkesville Police were trying to obtain the video Thursday.
Habersham County Sheriff’s deputies went to the home of Lovegrove’s parents, who said he has not been there for a couple of weeks, Sheriff Joey Terrell said.
Lovegrove may have worked as a pizza delivery man in Habersham County up until recently.
Barnes said her niece was in contact with people on social media apps like “Grindr, Tinder, Snapchat,” among others and implied that may be where she met the 21-year-old Longrove.
“Please don’t be a fool like me … check your children’s phones daily,” Barnes said in her post.
Barnes said Smith was picked up around 1:30-2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and that they discovered her missing around 7:20 a.m.
Around 10 a.m. Thursday, Barnes posted an update that the car they were believed to be traveling in was dumped at a rest area in Alabama.
The family’s post also indicated there was another juvenile female with them, but no information was immediately available about her.
A message left seeking more information from the Marion County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Department was not returned before press time Thursday.