High Tech
Sleuthing Results in Recovery of Deptford Man
and Missing Teen in Mexico
Deptford, N.J. - The Federal Bureau of Investigation,
New Jersey State Police, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's
Office, and the Deptford Police Department, working with Mexican
law enforcement authorities have located and taken custody
of 14-year-old Jessica Naylor and Daniel A. Elliott, age 43.
The pair were located yesterday inside a restaurant in Progeso,
Mexico, near a house on the Pacific Ocean that Elliott had
rented for both of them.
Troopers from the State Police's High Tech Crimes Unit forensically
examined Elliott's personal computer after a request for assistance
from the Deptford Township Police following the pair's disappearance
on the evening of August 29. Elliott was an executive in a
national computer firm until his disappearance with Naylor.
High Tech detectives sifted through computer evidence in which
Elliott left erroneous trails possibly attempting to mislead
police into believing they had gone to Canada.
Detectives were able to find indications that Elliott was
planning to fly from Baltimore Washington International Airport
to San Diego. On September 8th, Maryland Transportation Police
located Elliott's Acura MDX in long-term parking and a subsequent
search revealed only a mobile phone and a Palm-type handheld
unit.
State Police detectives advised the FBI of the situation
and they worked with Mexican authorities to attempt to locate
the pair. Flight records later showed that Elliott and Naylor
took an August 29th flight to San Diego and then traveled
by land to Tiajuana, Mexico where they boarded another flight
to Mexico City on August 30th. The next day, they caught a
third plane to Cancun, Mexico.
On September 1st, detectives apprised the Gloucester County
Prosecutor's Office of the situation and Prosecutor Sean Dalton
authorized a criminal warrant against Daniel Elliott for 2nd
degree Luring to Commit the Crime of Endangering the Welfare
of a Child and bail was set at $100,000.
Troopers uncovered some deleted computer files that revealed
a rental house in Progeso, Mexico into which Elliott had been
inquiring. Armed with this information, FBI agents, working
with Mexican Authorities, located the pair in the town of
Progeso on Sunday, September 12th.
On Wednesday, September 15th, Daniel Elliott and Jessica
Naylor were taken into custody from a restaurant near the
rented beach house by Mexican authorities. They were deported
and turned over to the FBI and Gloucester County Fugitive
Unit to maintain custody into the United States. They are
expected to arrive in the area later tonight.
Elliott will be scheduled for arraignment in Gloucester County
Superior Court.
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