http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/g/gray_chioma.html

What Really Happened in the Chioma Gray – Andrew Joshua Tafoya Case?
Lynn on December 10, 2008 — 15 Comments
By:  Lynn Green

   For the past several months I have been watching and reading about the strange case of Chioma Gray and Andrew Joshua Tafoya. Sometimes I’ll act quickly on a story…but sometimes I just sit back and wait.

I’ve waited this one out long enough now. Here is what is appearing on hundreds of black owned blogs throughout the blogosphere:

a. Chioma Gray was kidnapped at age 15 by Andrew Joshua Tafoya, who was 20 at the time

b. The mainstream media is ignoring the case

c. No one in the mainstream is looking out for Chioma

Let us start with “C”. No one is looking for Chioma. Actually, the FBI has Andrew Tafoya on their wanted list and reported that they believe him to be in Mexico. However, they are not sure, as they have not counted out the fact that he knows he is wanted and therefore, he may be back in the U.S. Realistically, if the FBI knew where this monster was located, don’t you think they would have picked him up by now?

Next, I would like to tackle “B”. There are claims that the mainstream media is ignoring the case. I wonder what they mean by “ignoring”? It does not get more mainstream than America’s Most Wanted and sure enough, this case is right there on their website.

Also, if you run a Google search, you will see hundreds of articles covering this case. In addition, why such attention on the mainstream? If black bloggers cover this story more often than do white media or white bloggers, is it less authoritative because blacks are covering it?

  Now, let’s deal with “A”. Reports indicated that Andrew Joshua Tafoya had kidnapped Chioma Gray. The definition of kidnapping is below:

To steal, carry off, or abduct by force or fraud, esp. for use as a hostage or to extract ransom

Because she was 15 and he was 20, I guess we can call it kidnapping, but….did he really take her by force or did she voluntarily leave with him? Do not misunderstand me here. He was WRONG to date and have sexual relations with a 15 year old child. That is a fact!

It is very, very difficult to get the complete facts leading up to the disappearance. However, I continued to dig until I found an article in the Ventura County Star

Here is how Chioma met her “kidnapper”

Black said her daughter met Tafoya through her son, Chidiebere Okehi. Tafoya and Okehi played football together, first at St. Bonaventure High School. Okehi and Tafoya also played together at Ventura College and were friends, she said.

Black said she first learned of Tafoya’s interest in her daughter when he showed up at a soccer game in which Chioma Gray was participating.

Tafoya was sentenced in late June to 210 days in county jail and 36 months of probation. He was placed on a work furlough program as part of his sentence.

Tafoya was ordered not to have contact with the girl and not to associate with anyone under 18 unless in the presence of a responsible adult, according to the FBI.

But Black said she saw her daughter get out of Tafoya’s car just a day before he was to begin his work furlough program last summer.

Black said she notified Ventura police but that police failed to take any action.

“I would have liked to have seen him sent to prison for this,” Black told reporters.

When asked if Chioma Gray and Tafoya were in a consensual relationship, Allred [lawyer for the family] responded, saying the important issue is that the relationship was illegal since Tafoya was having sex with an underage girl.

Let us stop there, shall we? I agree 100% that Tafoya had no business in a sexual relationship with the 15 year old Chioma. And I am happy that he admitted to and was convicted of unlawful sexual relations with her.

However, the fact that Attorney Allred did not allow Chioma’s mother to respond to whether or not Chioma was voluntarily in a sexual relationship with Chioma says a lot.

Here are the facts:

Chioma met Tafoya through her brother

Chioma was seen by her mother voluntarily getting out of Tafoya’s car

Apparently Ms. Black was unable to get through to her daughter, as her daughter defied her and continued seeing Tafoya even after he was convicted for underage sexual relations with her. Ms. Black had to go to the police. And my guess is that the police did not get too upset over it because it appeared that the girl was voluntarily in a relationship with this older, 20 year old man.

Black bloggers are complaining that no Amber Alert had been issued after she disappeared. The police said that they did not issue it because they believed she left with him voluntarily—therefore, it was not really an authentic kidnapping.

I will say this. Fifteen year old girls are impressionable. My guess is that Andrew Joshua Tafoya was her first crush and perhaps the first guy she has slept with. In her immature mind, he is her Prince Charming.

I remember reading another article where Ms. Black indicated that her daughter never left home without her makeup. Interesting. I was not interested in makeup at 15 and doubt my mother would have allowed me to wear it at that young age. So there are some issues here that black bloggers are ignoring.

Growing up, I had a “fear” of my mother. Not a “scared of her” fear. But a reverential fear. She would not have needed to tell me more than once to stay away from a boy! Hello? I find it interesting that nothing this mother said apparently affected Chioma at all. And so she went to the police for help.

The police cannot solve all of our family problems. They really cannot. The police could lock Andrew Joshua Tafoya up for his illegal sexual relationship with the 15 year old and they did that. However, they could not force this girl to stop seeing him and so she obviously continued seeing him.

I’m about to anger some folks but you all know me. I have got to just be myself and keep it real.

I believe that Chioma’s sexual relationship with Andrew Joshua Tafoya was voluntary. I believe she continued seeing him voluntarily. I believe she schemed to run off with him voluntarily. I believe she is with him at this very moment voluntarily. I believe she is hiding out with him voluntarily. I believe she is still sleeping with him voluntarily. I believe she is on the run with him voluntarily.  I could be wrong but this is my opinion and belief.

My sincere hope is that she does not turn to any illegal or dangerous activity to gain money. I just pray that he does not try to become her love-vendor. That’s my biggest fear.

Very few criminals will admit to a crime. He actually admitted sleeping with this underage girl. My hope at this point (since she is now 16) is that he actually has fallen in love with her and would never put her out on the street or in harm’s way to earn money to stay on the run. I pray he will never hurt her. Truth is, they can legally marry now in many states so perhaps he will return, do his time, then marry her.

Wishing peace to her family, as I know this must be painful.

Story covered on numerous blogs but a few HERE, HERE, HERE

15 Comments to “What Really Happened in the Chioma Gray – Andrew Joshua Tafoya Case?”
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Lynn,

I agree with you they both wanted to be together and no one could stop them. That’s why the police have not wasted there man hours pursuing this case. They probably feel it’s a waste of police man hours and tax payer’s money. The money could be used to pursue more pressing cases. This is just my thought on the article.
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You know…I’ve remained silent on this story for a long time. I have tried to find any indication of her being kidnapped. I just don’t see it. She met him through her brother. Started seeing him and sleeping with him. In her mind she fell in love. And she (in my belief) ran away with him.
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I wasn’t familiar with this story until just now reading about and don’t believe she was kidnapped either. She reminds me of someone I went to high school with who was involved with a much older man. Her family disapproved of the relationship and she wound up running off to another state with the man so they could be together.
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I recently heard through a mutual friend of ours who attended the same school, that they are still together… are happily married and have 3 children together.
Hopefully there will be a happy ending to this story as well, but I honestly don’t believe she was kidnapped by this man.
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The Mom noticed the young man and also the police officer and neither one said or did anything. If those two weren’t very concern I guess that’s an indication it’s just two young people who want to be together regardless of the cost. I just hope this situation turns out for the best.
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Lynn, thanks for taking the time to get this story straight.
(mainstream media and bloggers take note)
I had never heard this story and I agree, she could have run off with the guy. I know of several under aged girls that fool around with grown men – and in some cases the girls were the seducers. (This does not excuse the ADULT that should know better) I pray that all works out for this young lady.
Lady D~
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I want to THANK YOU for finally shedding some light intelligently. I know both of these kids…and I say kids because although Josh (we call him Josh) was 20 at the time, he was still a kid. As for Chioma, she is a little girl, but VERY mature for her age, I’ve known her for years she played sports with my daughter. I’ve had conversations with this child, and she was much more mature than the average 14 year old at the time. That being said she is still a child and what has happened is terrible…but bottom line is she went willingly. Those 2 dated for a VERY long time, Chioma left because she WANTED to. which brings me to my next issue; her mother, that woman is something else, it’s no wonder that little girl wanted to leave. Happy children don’t run away, that’s a fact, and since Josh didn’t kidnap her, people should really stop and think about that!
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Welcome to Hicktown Knowthem. Thanks for the report. I hope they are both safe and sound.
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Thanks for stopping in and shedding even more light on this, “Knowthemboth”.

Lynn
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If what KnowThemBoth says is true, then it’s a shame that this young man’s life if going to be ruined when the authorities catch up with him. He will more than likely have to register as a sex offender and he can forget about ever being able to go to a public university or get a decent job. This is just sad all the way around.
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If they have gone to some state that would consider her to be of age to consent and they perhaps have gotten married, he may not have a problem.
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He’ll still have a problem because he is a convicted child molester (he was convicted of underage sex with her and admitted to it). He was ordered to stay away from her. So yes, he is looking at some time.
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The truth of the matter is all these people are right even the writer she fell in love with him, The people who know the mother knows she would not allow this relationship because of his color. Chioma left because she was tired of being ran and controlled by her evil mother perhaps that is a harsh word but the mother is satan herself people who know her know how she is a fraud and uses people perhaps this is her karma for all she has done to people in life. Im glad her daugther moved away maybe now she has a chance to live a normal life. Im sure her and Andrew are very happy together mother get over it you know they were in love remember the arguement and lies you told your daugther the nite before she ran off with him…………you should be ashamed of yourself for using her as an excuse like you do .
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NOTE: For the record, this blog is not taking a stance of attack against the mother, as we understand how she must be hurting. We cannot substantiate any of the statements or accusations in “evilmother’s” comments, particularly that they were arguing before she ran off or even that the two of them are in love. Or that the mother was against him b/c he was Hispanic. I also cannot say that the mother is “satan”. One would have to be pretty evil to be thus classified. My belief is that the mother acting as any normal mother would who did not want her teen daughter having sex, particularly with a grown man. And my heart goes out to the mother who must be heart brokien that she has not heard from her child and does not know if she is alive or dead.

Mark
p.s do you have any new information on this?
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Mark, no new information.

If anyone hears anything, my hope is that they will share here.