Two California men arrested after authorities found a missing 12-year-old Evergreen girl in Nevada made their initial appearances Monday in Flathead Justice Court.
Edgard “Eddie” Le, 28, of Escondido and Dennis Nelson, 37, of San Diego appeared before Judge Mark Sullivan on Feb. 27. The men were returned to Montana following their arrests on Feb. 15.
Both men face felony charges after the 12-year-old girl went missing on Feb. 13. Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the girl and believed she was with Le after discovering the two had had an online relationship.
According to court documents, Le and the girl would say they loved each other in online discussions and Le’s friends mentioned a “road trip” from Montana to California.
Authorities found the girl south of Las Vegas with Le and Nelson. Prosecutors charged Le with custodial interference, which has a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. His bond is set at $250,000.
Prosecutors say Nelson had rented the car and was driving when authorities found them. He is charged with accountability to custodial interference, and is being held on $150,000 bond.