The FBI is asking the public for help reporting any details that could assist in locating a Laredo family who went missing two weeks ago while on the road from the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon.
Gladys Cristina Perez Sanchez, 39, her son John Carlos Gonzalez, 16, and her 9 year-old daughter Michelle Cristina Duran went to Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León to visit family and departed from there around 3:40 p.m. Sunday, June 13. But they never returned home.
“There were no calls from Gladys or her children indicating that there was a change in plans,” Michelle Lee, public affairs officer for the San Antonio FBI, said.
Investigators believe the family likely went missing on the Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo Highway at kilometer marker 100 by Vallecillo, according to the FBI’s news release.
They were traveling in a four-door, 2014 Chevrolet Sonic that’s yellow in color and displaying Texas license plates NBX-4740.
The mother is a school teacher in Laredo. She’s about 5 feet tall, weighs about 150 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair. The last time she was seen, Perez Sanchez was wearing a green polo shirt and blue jeans.
“We’re particularly concerned in this case, because Gladys is on medications that she requires on a daily basis to maintain her health, and it’s not clear to us that she has sufficient supply,” Lee said.
Her son, John Carlos Gonzalez, is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He has brown eyes and short red hair. Gonzalez was wearing a blue T-shirt.
The young girl, Michelle Cristina Duran, has brown eyes, long, curly black hair, stands at about 4 feet, 10 inches and weighs about 130 pounds. She was wearing a striped T-shirt when she went missing.
“There’s a possibility that it could be a kidnapping, but we’re not sure,” Lee said, adding they could have been a victim of carjacking which happens frequently.
On Friday, the State of Tamaulipas announced the attorney general offices of their state and Nuevo Leon are already investigating.
Jurisdiction will be determined later when they know where the family went missing.
Although the whereabouts of the family are unknown, FBI investigators believe they could possibly be in Parse, Nuevo Leon.
Meanwhile, on the U.S. side, the case will continue to be investigated.
“We’re coordinating our efforts, and typically in cases like this, there’s also a domestic-based investigation where we’re actually interviewing folks in the United States,” Lee said.
Anyone with any information is encouraged to call or send in anonymous tips.
“We’re looking for anyone who has any information at all about where this family might be. There isn’t a piece of information that’s too small,” Lee stressed.
The public is urged to call the FBI San Antonio Division at (210) 225-6741 with any information. Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov. Individuals who provide information may remain anonymous.
Travelers to Mexico are encouraged to check the State Department’s risk assessment of the state they’ll be visiting before leaving the U.S.
Those who are relatives of missing U.S. citizens can call the nearest consulate, U.S. embassy or FBI.
“Contact us as soon as possible,” Lee said. “It’s better the sooner that you call, the more time that passes, the more stale leads can get. Memories fade. We would ask that folks don’t hesitate to call.”
