NV NV - Karla Rodriguez, 7, Las Vegas, 20 Oct 1999

[PommyMommy]

MAY 23, 2023

National Missing Children’s Day 2023 | Federal Bureau of Investigation

In recognition of National Missing Children’s Day—observed annually on May 25—the FBI reaffirms its year-round commitment to reuniting missing and kidnapped children with their families and asks the public for help in bringing them home.

www.fbi.gov

National Missing Children’s Day 2023​

Karla (Karlita) Carolina Rodriguez had just turned 7 years old when she disappeared on October 20, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Karla was missing from school that day and was last seen in the evening by a friend in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, she has never returned home.

Karla is one of dozens of missing children the FBI is working to bring home. Every year on National Missing Children’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to investigating these cases and finding children who have been reported kidnapped or missing, and we continue to encourage parents, caregivers, and others to make child safety a priority.

“We as law enforcement never forget these children and never stop looking for them until we find out what happened to them and bring those responsible for doing any harm to them to justice,” said Todd Tumbleson, a criminal investigator at the Nevada Attorney General’s Office and an FBI Task Force officer on the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force who has been investigating Karla’s case. “They and their families deserve nothing less than this.”

The FBI’s Kidnappings and Missing Persons list includes entries for Karla and other missing children. Please take a moment to review the list—and if you recognize anyone or have any information in a case, contact the FBI or local law enforcement or submit a tip online. No detail is too small.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Karla Carolina Rodriguez – The Charley Project

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Karla, circa 1999; Age-progression at age 25 (circa 2017)

• Missing Since 10/20/1999
• Missing From Las Vegas, Nevada
• Classification Non-Family Abduction
• Sex Female
• Race Hispanic
• Date of Birth 09/29/1992 (30)
• Age 7 years old
• Height and Weight 3'5, 49 pounds
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• Clothing/Jewelry Description A black jacket, a blue and white striped shirt and red pants.
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• Medical Conditions Karla has an unspecified medical condition and may be need of medical attention.
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• Distinguishing Characteristics Hispanic female. Black hair, brown eyes. Karla has moles above her right eyebrow and on her lower lip near the right corner of her mouth. Her teeth are unevenly spaced with wide gaps between them, and they have visible cavities. She has a surgical scar on her abdomen. Karla speaks Spanish and limited English. At the time of her disappearance, her fingernails were painted green.

Details of Disappearance​

Karla was last seen at approximately 7:00 p.m. on October 20, 1999 in the 800 block of Bonita Avenue in Las Vegas, Nevada. She went to visit a neighbor's son to play with him, but the neighbor told her to go home because it was getting late. She played outside alone for about fifteen minutes before leaving on her bike.

The location was two blocks from her family's home and also near the Stratosphere Tower in downtown Las Vegas. Karla never returned to her house and has not been seen again.

She wasn't reported missing until the next morning. Her father spoke to the neighbor who saw Karla, assumed she must have gone to another friend's house, and went home to bed. The next morning, when she still wasn't home, her mother called the school to see if she'd gone there for classes. The school principal called the police at this time.

Karla's disappearance was originally thought to be linked to a debt her parents owed a former brother-in-law. A few months before Karla disappeared, the brother-in-law came to Las Vegas and demanded to be repaid. The family gave him $1,000, but he said that was only the interest and he wanted more money. It was theorized that the man abducted Karla in attempt to extort money from her parents, but he has since been ruled out as a suspect in her case.

Investigators now believe Karla was taken by someone outside her family. Her disappearance remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency​

• Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 702-229-5678

Source Information​

• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• Child Protection Education of America
• America's Most Wanted
• NamUs
• Las Vegas Sun
• The Polly Klaas Foundation
• Child Search Ministries
• Unsolved in the News
• The Las Vegas Review-Journal

Updated 9 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 4, 2021; two pictures added

 

[Pennysmom1]

Oct 18, 2019

Family of Las Vegas girl missing for 20 years asks public for help

At a news conference with law enforcement officials early Friday, Karla Rodriguez’s parents asked the public to help find their daughter, who hasn’t been seen in 20 years.

www.reviewjournal.com

Sept 26, 2022

23 years ago, a 7-year-old failed to come home. Her parents went to bed and waited for her to return. She never did. | Fatim Hemraj | NewsBreak Original

When Karla Rodriguez vanished from her Las Vegas neighborhood in 1999, investigators called her a “victim waiting to happen.” Not only was she a vulnerable 7-year-old with a medical condition who spoke limited English, but Karla’s parents often left her unsupervised, to fend for herself.

original.newsbreak.com

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Karla Carolina Rodriguez – The Charley Project