Found Deceased VA - Juan Mejia Acevedo, 12, Endangered, Abducted by unknown person, last seen 9am in 200 block Mica Ave, Virginia Beach, 24 Jan 2025

[Simply Southern]

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/missing-12-year-old-childs-mom-reveals-he-never-made-it-to-friends-house/

....
Jenni went on Facebook Live to get the word out to see if friends or family could help. That’s when several ransom requests came in.

“They made me go to a nearby Walmart and asked for money. I did not give the full amount, just part of it,” said Acevedo.

Juan’s mother sent $500, and they then demanded $10,000, and she realized she was getting scammed.

“We have to treat it as a credible lead. And so that’s why our federal partners are here helping us with this potential abduction, and we’ll chase that all the way to its end,” said Saunders.


.

 

[Simply Southern]

Moo... government immigrant sweep maybe?

I don't think so. LE would know, they are working with FBI on the abduction. There may be other reasons. Moo

 

[Simply Southern]

I'm not familiar with how WhatsApp works. How work a random person know how to contact through the app?

Appears they have every available resource deployed.

AMBER Alert: Virginia Beach police deploy drones, bloodhounds, helicopters in search for missing 12-year-old boy

An AMBER Alert remains active for Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo.

www.13newsnow.com

....
While officers were searching, the family took to Facebook Live to implore their friends and family to help find Juan. While on Facebook Live, they started receiving ransom requests through WhatsApp, which led police to treat the case as an abduction, police said Sunday afternoon.
....
“Yesterday, to assist our efforts, we brought in federal partners to supplement our resources, canvassed the neighborhood and surrounding areas, collected video footage, utilized drones, employed bloodhounds from the Hampton Police Department and Virginia State Police, and spoke multiple times to Juan’s friends and family,” Virginia Beach Police Department said in a Sunday statement.

Search efforts on Sunday will include drones and helicopters if conditions allow, as well as mounted patrol and additional uniformed officers to augment detectives canvassing in neighborhoods.

The local Hispanic Citizens Police Academy Alumni are also helping talk to neighbors and translate if necessary.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 27, 2025

3-day search continues for VB boy, police investigating as an 'abduction'

Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo, a Hispanic male who is about 105 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, is believed to be in extreme danger.

www.wtkr.com

A 3-day search continues for a Virginia Beach boy, whom police believe has been abducted. Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo, 12, of Virginia Beach was last seen by his parents Friday morning in the 200 block of Mica Ave.

Prior to the report of him missing, his parent's believed he was at a friend's house. It was not until around 9:00 p.m. Friday night when Acevedo did not come back home, his parent's contacted VBPD.

 

[OldCop]

Moo... government immigrant sweep maybe?

ICE is not going to swoop in and take a 12 year old child off the street.

 

[swanniee11]

I wonder if they were able to get these scammers on video at walmart?

 

[OldCop]

I wonder if Juan’s friend, who Juan was supposed to be visiting that day, knew of someone older who Juan had been in contact with.
Did Juan’s friend say he never had plans with Juan for that day? Or did Juan tell him, “I'm going to say I’m going to your house” when he planned to meet someone somewhere. Did someone tell him to say that?
LE might have considered Juan endangered after speaking with some of his friends. The alarm wasn’t raised until many hours after he went missing because his parents thought he was at the friend’s house. This gave someone a good head start if, indeed, he was lured away.
If a pedophile who liked young boys was cruising the area, Juan might have been a target. Snow days are great for pedos because you have a lot of young children out playing in the snow with fewer adults around/less traffic.

 

[dotr]

Jan 26, 2025
Virginia Beach Police Department is urging anyone with information on the disappearance of Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo, including camera footage, to submit a tip on their anonymous digital evidence portal at https://virginiabeachpdva.evidence.co.... An AMBER Alert remains in effect for the 12-year-old, who went missing from Virginia Beach on Friday.

 

[truthfinder2019]

I'm not familiar with how WhatsApp works. How work a random person know how to contact through the app?

Appears they have every available resource deployed.

AMBER Alert: Virginia Beach police deploy drones, bloodhounds, helicopters in search for missing 12-year-old boy

An AMBER Alert remains active for Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo.

www.13newsnow.com

....
While officers were searching, the family took to Facebook Live to implore their friends and family to help find Juan. While on Facebook Live, they started receiving ransom requests through WhatsApp, which led police to treat the case as an abduction, police said Sunday afternoon.
....
“Yesterday, to assist our efforts, we brought in federal partners to supplement our resources, canvassed the neighborhood and surrounding areas, collected video footage, utilized drones, employed bloodhounds from the Hampton Police Department and Virginia State Police, and spoke multiple times to Juan’s friends and family,” Virginia Beach Police Department said in a Sunday statement.

Search efforts on Sunday will include drones and helicopters if conditions allow, as well as mounted patrol and additional uniformed officers to augment detectives canvassing in neighborhoods.

The local Hispanic Citizens Police Academy Alumni are also helping talk to neighbors and translate if necessary.

You just need a phone number and the app installed on both sides. You can then see if someone uses whatsapp. I suppose the parents gave their number in their FB live. The scammers then just needed to send a message

 

[truthfinder2019]

I wonder if Juan’s friend, who Juan was supposed to be visiting that day, knew of someone older who Juan had been in contact with.
Did Juan’s friend say he never had plans with Juan for that day? Or did Juan tell him, “I'm going to say I’m going to your house” when he planned to meet someone somewhere. Did someone tell him to say that?
LE might have considered Juan endangered after speaking with some of his friends. The alarm wasn’t raised until many hours after he went missing because his parents thought he was at the friend’s house. This gave someone a good head start if, indeed, he was lured away.
If a pedophile who liked young boys was cruising the area, Juan might have been a target. Snow days are great for pedos because you have a lot of young children out playing in the snow with fewer adults around/less traffic.

Very good point

 

[Knox]

I wonder if Juan’s friend, who Juan was supposed to be visiting that day, knew of someone older who Juan had been in contact with.
Did Juan’s friend say he never had plans with Juan for that day? Or did Juan tell him, “I'm going to say I’m going to your house” when he planned to meet someone somewhere. Did someone tell him to say that?
LE might have considered Juan endangered after speaking with some of his friends. The alarm wasn’t raised until many hours after he went missing because his parents thought he was at the friend’s house. This gave someone a good head start if, indeed, he was lured away.
If a pedophile who liked young boys was cruising the area, Juan might have been a target. Snow days are great for pedos because you have a lot of young children out playing in the snow with fewer adults around/less traffic.

We haven’t heard anything about a cellphone, computer, or any other electronic devices Juan had access too? Who had he been communicating with on that snow day? I guarantee you he was talking to someone.

 

[Simply Southern]

You just need a phone number and the app installed on both sides. You can then see if someone uses whatsapp. I suppose the parents gave their number in their FB live. The scammers then just needed to send a message

Thanks
Horrible they were taken advantage of. I know I would do anything of my child was missing.
Moo

 

[Simply Southern]

I wonder if they were able to get these scammers on video at walmart?

I do know from having fraudulent charges on my credit card at Walmart, they are quick on sending video to LE. When I filed the police report, the defective called directly to a designated department. We had the video in less than an hour. Hoping the incident was in view. Many other stores in the area will have cameras. I'm betting it's a stolen car. We could get lucky and a really stupid criminal leaving a great trail. (fingers crossed)
Praying he is found soon.
Moo...

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Wait, did she actually meet the scammers in person, or did she go to Walmart to buy some kind of card worth $500 and then send the info. to the scammers digitally? (I assumed the latter, because that is a common scam, but maybe I didn't understand.)

 

[TMich6811]

Marine units have been searching nearby lakes and ponds, although police say they do not believe this to be a recovery mission, meaning they believe Acevedo is still alive.

3-day search continues for Virginia Beach boy believed to be abducted

Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo, a Hispanic male who is about 105 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, is believed to be in extreme danger.

www.wtkr.com

 

[tlcya]

Hoping to day is the day Juan is located - safe

 

[Jo in Calif]

Large VBPD presence surrounding water near where missing boy was last seen

A large police presence is surrounding a pond Monday near the area where Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo, a missing 12-year-old who police issued an AMBER Alert for over the weekend, was last seen.

www.wtkr.com

 

[Simply Southern]

I've not t seen a response to this level, makes me very worried.

Police confirm body pulled from pond on Monday was missing 12YO boy

Police on Monday afternoon confirmed the body discovered Monday was Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo.

www.13newsnow.com

...
Just before noon, a police marine team was searching a small lake beside the apartment complex and told 13New Now to not film the police activity.

Police tape is now surrounding the lake in which investigators were searching, and the police perimeter has been extended to cut off the entire adjacent street.

Virginia Beach police officials said they are searching the water out of “an abundance of caution.”

From a response standpoint, drones, helicopters and alumni with the Hispanic Citizens Police Academy are a
part of the investigative efforts today, too.

 

[Simply Southern]

Wait, did she actually meet the scammers in person, or did she go to Walmart to buy some kind of card worth $500 and then send the info. to the scammers digitally? (I assumed the latter, because that is a common scam, but maybe I didn't understand.)

Dang, I assumed she was meeting someone in person. Thanks for the information.

 

[Simply Southern]

Wait, did she actually meet the scammers in person, or did she go to Walmart to buy some kind of card worth $500 and then send the info. to the scammers digitally? (I assumed the latter, because that is a common scam, but maybe I didn't understand.)

You are correct. She must have purchased a card at Walmart and sent money. Per the Wavy article up thread. She went to Walmart, "sent $500." and they ask for 10k.
Moo