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A California man was arrested after allegedly kidnapping a 10-year-old child he reportedly met on the popular video game Roblox.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office in California reported that Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested on multiple charges, including kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
On Sunday, the parents of the child filed a police report that their child was missing.
Upon investigation, detectives discovered Naval had communicated with the child through the video game Roblox.
Authorities later discovered the child over 250 miles from her home in Taft and with Naval in Elk Grove.
Naval has been booked and his bail has been set at $250,000.
Girl was kidnapped by man who messaged her on Roblox, officials say. 10-year-old found safe https://t.co/1QfcBQlnsC pic.twitter.com/MeOtYdCkHG
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) April 17, 2025
Per CNN:
A California man has been arrested for abducting a 10-year-old child he reportedly met on social media apps Roblox and Discord, authorities said Wednesday.
Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested Sunday for kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. CNN is working to determine whether Naval has legal representation.
Kern County deputies began on Sunday searching for the child, who is a young girl from Taft, California, according to CNN affiliate KOVR, after her family reported her missing, police said.
Following information indicating the possibility that the missing minor was kidnapped, detectives said they uncovered the juvenile had been communicating with Naval via social media, and they were believed to be in the area of Elk Grove, California – more than 250 miles away.
Kern County police notified authorities in Elk Grove, who found the child Sunday afternoon, the release said.
Naval was arrested and booked in Sacramento County and later transferred to Kern County, where he is being held with bail set at $250,000, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. He has a court hearing set for Friday.
The sheriff’s office warned of the “importance of internet safety” in the news release, referring to the communications Naval allegedly had with the minor on Roblox and Discord before the abduction. Roblox is an online gaming platform popular with tweens, and Discord is an instant messaging app.
California man accused of kidnapping child after Roblox interaction
An Elk Grove man is accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old child he played with in the popular video game Roblox, officials said. Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was taken to the Sacramento County jail on kidnapping… pic.twitter.com/JAZ5zmQxcP
— Brett Murphy (@brettmurphyx) April 17, 2025
Here’s what The Sacramento Bee reported:
A kidnapped child was found more than 250 miles away from home with a man they spoke to over Roblox and Discord, California deputies say.
Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested on multiple charges stemming from the incident, including kidnapping, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 16 Facebook post. TOP VIDEOS Deputies said they responded to a Taft home about a missing 10-year-old at about 10 a.m. Sunday, April 13.
The family told deputies they last saw the child at home the night before. Through an investigation, deputies said they learned from the child’s friends that they may have been kidnapped. Detectives also learned the child had been speaking with Naval over Roblox, an online gaming platform, and Discord, a voice, video, and text chat app, according to deputies.
Deputies said they believed the pair were in the Elk Grove area, about a 270-mile drive north from Taft.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.