GALVESTON – A Galveston police officer is sharing details of the tense and fast-moving rescue of a 12-year-old girl who had been reported missing and was later found inside a hotel room with a suspect now accused of targeting victims across multiple states.

Officer Joshua Nino, a K-9 officer and SWAT team member with just over two years at the Galveston Police Department and nearly a decade in law enforcement, described the case as unlike anything he had experienced before.

Police were alerted to the missing child on the island’s west end and quickly began a large-scale search involving multiple officers and supervisors. Nino said the urgency of the call immediately stood out.

“Due to the nature of the call, multiple officers and multiple supervisors started heading that way,” he said.

Investigators began canvassing the area around the girl’s home and where she was last seen. A key break came when officers received a phone ping placing a device near a local hotel. From the time the call came in to the time officers had a likely location, Nino estimated about an hour and a half had passed.

At the hotel, officers ran into an early obstacle: front desk staff did not have access to the surveillance system. Nino said supervisors or maintenance personnel were required to retrieve video.

“We explained the magnitude of what we were dealing with,” he said. “It was possible a missing 12-year-old had been abducted and could be somewhere in that hotel.”

A maintenance supervisor assisted officers in reviewing footage. Nino said he made the decision to search video starting earlier than the family’s estimated timeline, a move that proved critical. Surveillance showed the suspect and the girl entering through a rear door at about 7:05 p.m.

“If we wouldn’t have moved that time frame back, we would have missed them on the cameras,” he said.

Hotel staff were able to track the pair to a specific room. Nino, a sergeant and another officer went to the door. After knocking and announcing themselves as police, they received no immediate answer. When Nino attempted to open the door with a key card, he found the interior latch engaged, signaling someone was inside.

Officers gave loud verbal commands. A man inside, later identified as Graham Michael Dunn responded, but did not follow instructions to open the door. Nino then asked if the girl, identified by name, was inside. Dunn said yes.

“At that point, there was no more time for hesitation,” Nino said.

Officers forced entry and took the suspect into custody. The girl was located inside and immediately attended to by responding officers. A female officer was brought in to stay with her, and her family was notified. An ambulance was called due to the nature of the situation.

While other personnel focused on the victim’s care, Nino shifted to securing evidence, identifying the vehicle involved and ensuring surveillance footage was preserved.

Later, Nino learned the suspect was allegedly wanted in five other states for similar crimes.

“It was a very surreal feeling,” he said. “You don’t know at first if you’re dealing with a juvenile or someone from the neighborhood. This turned out to be the worst-case scenario — someone who has done this before and kept doing it.”

He emphasized that the rescue was the result of a coordinated, multi-agency response. Along with Galveston police, the effort involved the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, hospital police, state park police, a state police helicopter, detectives, crime scene personnel and prosecutors.

“It truly was a team effort,” Nino said. “Everyone came together to seek justice for her and to protect future victims.”

Dunn remains in custody as the investigation continues. Authorities have said additional charges and coordination with other jurisdictions may follow.

Photo courtesy: Joshua Nino