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Father of missing girl faces multiple charges
Girl was found Sunday, taken into protective custody
Carmen Clay
Carmen Clay

The father of a Hall County 12-year-old who was missing for a week and a half faces multiple felony charges.

His daughter was found Sunday with him and his girlfriend by the McDonough Police Department and the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office at the Scottish Inn in McDonough.

Steven Spires, 31, of Locust Grove, was in the Spalding County jail as of 5 p.m. Monday.

“The arrest followed a brief standoff when Spires initially refused to exit the hotel room to surrender to law enforcement personnel,” according to a Spalding County Sheriff’s Office release.

Authorities previously said they believed Brooklyn Smith was “at risk” and traveling with Spires and Spires’ girlfriend, Carmen Clay, 19.

Clay was charged by McDonough Police for interference with custody. The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office release said there may be possible charges from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

Despite Smith making phone contact with her mother and news media outlets “claiming to be in the company of unidentified friends,” the Hall County Sheriff’s Office had said Smith was traveling with the pair in an unknown vehicle towing a large camper.

The trio were reportedly seen in Cartersville on Aug. 1, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

Smith left her residence in Hall County at 2:28 a.m. July 27, and her mother witnessed her getting into a black or dark passenger car.

Smith was taken into protective custody by the Hall County Division of Family and Children Services, according to a news release from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.