A Navy veteran was charged Wednesday with kidnapping a 19-year-old who was last seen on a Naval base in Virginia. Ashanti Billie, a student at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach, was reported missing in September after arriving to work on the base. Her body was later found more than 300 miles away in North Carolina.

Eric Brian Brown, a 45-year-old veteran, was charged with Billie’s kidnapping, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia said Wednesday, according to NBC News.

Billie had Brown’s DNA on her body, prosecutors said, according to NBC. Her cellphone was found in a dumpster and her car was left on a dead end road. Video showed her arriving to work Sept. 18 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort-Story, the last place she was ever seen, according to WAVY-TV. The car could later be seen on video leaving the facility, though it was unclear who was behind the wheel.

The teenager had moved to Virginia Beach just a month prior to her disappearance to attend school, WAVY reported. She aspired to open her own bakery.

Brown, the man charged with her kidnapping, was described as homeless and was apparently living at “random facilities and buildings on and off the naval bases,” prosecutors said. He visited the fast-food establishment where Billie worked almost every day and attempted to flirt with her, according to witnesses. Brown also allegedly made a crude sexual comment to her, according to reports.

Should he be convicted, Brown could face up to life in prison, WTOP-TV reported.

"The entire Billie family would like to extend their deepest thanks and gratitude to the FBI, Virginia Beach and Norfolk Police Departments and NCIS for their attention and investigations regarding their daughter, Ashanti Billie," the family said in a statement following the announcement of Brown's charges. "Additionally, they would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all that helped and came forward with tips. At the current time the family needs time to process the information but will be making a public statement soon."

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