According to Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Craig Brady, when 16-year-old Pecan Grove resident Alyssa Rehfield left her home and ran off with 36-year-old David Karan, it was consensual – and not the first time the two had physical contact.
“Without question she was with him of her own accord,” said Brady. “If she were 18 years old, we wouldn’t be here talking.”
An Amber Alert was issued for Rehfield Tuesday when her mother discovered her missing. The alert was cancelled late last night after the pair was found in Raton, New Mexico.
They were pulled over in Karan’s car by Raton police officers, who were reportedly acting on a tip.
Karan has been charged with enticing a child, a third degree felony, and is being held in the Colfax County Jail in Raton on a $150,000 bond. He will eventually be extradited to Fort Bend County.
Brady said Karan has no verifiable criminal record.
According to Brady, Rehfield and Karan, who met through a social networking Internet site, have had an ongoing relationship since at least 2009.
Karan has apparently been living in an extended stay hotel on Beltway 8 near Fort Bend County since June. Brady did not know where he lived previously.
According to Brady, Rehfield’s mother raised allegations of sexual contact between Karan and her daughter in 2009, but the Harris County District Attorney’s Office never filed charges. At the time, the family was living in Harris County.
Brady said he is unsure why charges were not filed.
“That’s not really uncommon,” said Brady. “A lot of times parents don’t want to subject their children to the legal process and testifying in court.”
Rehfield is still in New Mexico, in the custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department. Her mother and stepfather are on their way to get her. Representatives from the agency would not comment on the matter.
Karan faces the possibility of additional charges once he is interviewed by Fort Bend County detectives.
