A Missouri mother is speaking out after recognizing an Arizona truck driver on TV, claiming he kidnapped her two children late last year, shortly before he was arrested for abducting and sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Phoenix.
Liam Wallace, a 27-year-old truck driver from Arizona, is facing serious charges after he was arrested on New Year's Eve for child sex trafficking. He and the 12-year-old victim were discovered in his semi-truck in Utah, according to News12.
Rita Weber, who lives in St. Joseph, Missouri, about 1,200 miles away from Phoenix, reached out to 12News after she saw Wallace's recent arrest. She claims her 16-year-old daughter had been communicating with Wallace in an online teen chat room, the same platform court records say Wallace used to contact the 12-year-old girl.
Weber reported that shortly before Thanksgiving, her daughter and 17-year-old son went missing. When she asked their group of friends if they knew anything about the disappearance, they allegedly told her the children were with a man named Liam Wallace. Worried for their safety, Weber immediately contacted the police.
"The first thing I was thinking is he's, you know, sex trafficking," Weber said. "As a mom, that's our first fear. You know, you're going with a stranger, and all you hear about is kids get taken later on, they find their body somewhere."
Weber's daughter managed to reach her friends via Snapchat, sending them messages asking for help and stating that it was too late for her and her brother to return. According to Weber, Wallace had taken her children to his Phoenix apartment, where he allegedly made advances toward her daughter.
"He tried to bring her inside the bedroom when they were at that apartment, and my daughter refused," Weber said.
It was then that her daughter sent her friends the exact address of Wallace's apartment and asked them for assistance. Weber immediately called the police, requesting a welfare check at the location. Phoenix Police confirmed they were contacted regarding the welfare of two missing teens from Missouri and responded to the apartment. Both children were located and taken into custody by the State Department of Child Safety.
Weber drove 20 hours to retrieve her children, who she said are doing well, considering the circumstances. However, she is questioning why no arrests were made when police conducted a search of the apartment.
Wallace was not contacted during their investigation, according to a statement from the police.
"This ain't the first time he took a child, and if they let him out, you know, he's just going to do it again because he thinks it's okay," Weber said.
