WFTV CHANNEL 9 VIDEO WITH JENNIFER SOTO & STEPHAN STERNS ON 2/27/2024
(transcribed by me)
WFTV: So, the first question is if I can have your first and your last name. Spell them both out for me.
JS: Okay. Jennifer Soto. J-E-N-N-I-F-E-R, S-O-T-O.
WFTV: Mother?
JS: Mother.
WFTV: Jennifer, tell me how you feel right now.
JS: [Exhale] I feel like I can’t breathe. All I keep thinking about is where is she. Is she safe? Is she okay? But we’re… we’re all a wreck. My entire family’s a mess. We’re just so worried.
WFTV: When did you first realize—or when did you file a missing report?
JS: We filed a missing report—uh, we called the police at like 4:45, uh, yesterday. 4:45 pm. But she actually went missing early that morning around between 8:45 and 9 o’clock in the morning she went missing. Um, we had dropped her off close to the school. Um, she wanted to walk the rest of the way. [Automatic dog feeder heard in the background] Sorry. That should be it. Sorry about that. [Exhale] We dropped her off at school, close to school. Um, she wanted to walk the rest of the way, ummm. [Pause, inhale] I’m not sure what I’m allowed to share.
WFTV: You can share whatever you feel comfortable sharing. I know you had conversations with detectives. Um, not sure what that conversation [inaudible]. Whatever you feel comfortable sharing that will put the awareness out there.
JS: Yeah. She was spotted walking by, uh, the church by the middle school, uh, on the cameras. They saw her hang out in the parking lot for a little bit and then get up and leave. They didn’t see a vehicle or see anything else. They just saw her walk away, uh, around 9:00 am. Heading towards the school. But she never made it. Um, yeah.
WFTV: What has the school said? Have you been in contact with the school?
JS: Uh, yes. Umm, that they’re doing everything they can. They’ve given me all their resources. The principal’s called me. They’ve looked at their cameras. Cameras, um… I don’t think they’ve caught anything on the cameras. It’s too far away from the sidewalk, everything is too grainy. So, they can’t see specific faces. Um, but they’ve looked. Um, but I’m just waiting to hear anything else from them.
WFTV: Is this normal behavior?
JS: Not at all.
WFTV: …to just not show up or call or text or anything?
JS: Not at all, no. Ummm, she—from time to time she will leave her cell phone at home, accidentally, and that’s actually what happened yesterday. She left her phone at home. She went to school. [Exhale] Umm… but that happens from time to time, she’s got ADHD. Um, her memory [small laugh], she’s very forgetful. Um, so yeah, there’s no way to track her right now because I have her phone—well, the detectives now have her phone. Uh… but this isn’t normal behavior, no.
WFTV: What was the last thing that, I guess, the conversation that you two had—you and your daughter?
JS: [Lengthy pause, inhales] Ummm, we spoke about her birthday party. She had a birthday party on Sunday. She had a great time. Umm, I couldn’t make it because I was working, but she had an amazing time. She was so happy with all her gifts. Uh, I—I told her goodnight, and um, yeah that was it. I—I [exhale], I wasn’t the one who took her to school that morning. That was my partner. Umm, [in much quieter voice, almost a whisper] but yeah.
WFTV: 13?
JS: She’s 13 years old, yes.
WFTV: 13, Madeline?
JS: Madeline.
WFTV: Um… what are you thinking right now?
JS: [Exhale] In my heart, I feel like somebody took her. This isn’t like her to just pick up and run away. Um, or just not go to school. Um… [long pause] I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.
WFTV: Friends… the friends’ parents… you’ve contacted…
JS: Everyone.
WFTV: …you went through every single person?
JS: Everyone, everyone that we know that she knows. We’ve contacted them all, reached out to them. The parents have gone out to search and look for her as well. And we haven’t come up with anything yet.
WFTV: I’ve seen a lot of posts on, um, Facebook, um, Hunters Creek, [indiscernible], and what have you… did people say that they were going to conduct some type of like search party or anything?
JS: A lot of people have asked me to volunteer like if there is one… if they can do one, um, they’re—I have people passing out flyers, going to every store in that vicinity. A gas station, church, um, I think people—people were being stopped in the street this morning in front of the school to see if they’ve seen anything, if they’ve heard anything. My family is… they’re going all out right now. Um, but yeah.
WFTV: I realize that as a mother a lot is going on in your brain…
JS: So much.
WFTV: …to bring her back home. What have cop—what have law enforcement told you that you ARE able to share?
JS: [Long pause] I mean, that they’re doing the best they can. Uh, they’ve had detectives come out, interview us. They [pause] took a piece of her clothing for the K9 dog to see if they can sniff her out. I’m not sure when that’s being done. Um…
WFTV: Do you have any inkling where she possibly could be? Like if you would say, um, last time, um, I went to work and came back, she was at Jane’s house or Sabrina’s house, and maybe I forgot to check that house. Or she played at this park one weekend and maybe she went back there, or something like that.
JS: We’ve looked everywhere we could’ve thought. I mean, anywhere she would’ve been, um, she would’ve known to wait for me at the school. Um, but we did check where—if she could’ve walked—uh, my mom’s office is close to the school. We checked there. We checked the walking paths that she could’ve taken. [Exhale] We’ve checked all of her friends’ house. I think we’ve checked everywhere I can think of honestly.
WFTV: What do you think, um—oh gosh, I just had it on the tip of my tongue. What was she wearing?
JS: She was last seen wearing a green hoodie, black shorts, white Crocs, a black Jansport backpack with gray hibiscus flowers on it. Um, that’s about it.
WFTV: And you said this is not like her?
JS: Not at all.
WFTV: …to run away, an argument or anything like that to provoke her?
JS: She’s never done anything like this, no. And we haven’t had any arguments recently [pause] to have this outcome.
WFTV: What school?
JS: Hunters Creek Middle School.
WFTV: Tom, any questions? [No]
WFTV: Is there anything that you think our viewers would need to know about the way you’re feeling, the way the family’s feeling, Madeline….?
JS: We’re desperate for any answers—anything that you could do to help, I’m here for it. Just please if… [pause, exhale] if you see my daughter, just please bring her home. I just hope you’re okay Maddie. I hope you’re safe. I hope you’re not hurt. [Exhale] I just hope she’s okay.
WFTV: When, um, when did you notice that she was missing? Because this was at the beginning of the morning.
JS: Um, she got dropped off in the morning. We did not notice until after school pickup at 4:00. At 4 o’clock when I went to go pick her up and she wasn’t at school.
WFTV: So, we’re going into 24 hours now.
JS: Yeah.
WFTV: Just about…
JS: Yeah.
WFTV: Nothing?
JS: Nothing. No word. No text message, no messages anywhere from her. I’ve looked at all her social medias. I’ve looked at all her games she could’ve played with, any app… no weird conversations, no—nothing strange. Everything was conversations with normal friends or us. [Exhale]
WFTV: She knows how to get home by herself? As if, like, let’s just say… to take a bus or an Uber or something like that? She would know how to get home alone, correct?
JS: I’m not sure. I don’t know if she would know how to get home. Maybe—I mean, if someone, I’m thinking if someone got in the car with her… if she pointed the way, what roads… she probably could figure out how to get… but like does she know our full address? [Small laugh] I don’t think she does.
WFTV: Which would give me the … I mean, it just puts in my brain that she always comes home with you, someone.
JS: She always comes home with me.
WFTV: There’s no need for her to really learn.
JS: Exactly.
WFTV: Okay. And you said no, Tom? I think that was everything.
*
WFTV: All right. The first question. If I can get your first and last name and spell them both out for me.
SS: Stephan Sterns. S-T-E-P-H-A-N, S-T-E-R-N-S.
WFTV: All right, so, Stephan. You seem very emotional right now. Explain to us.
SS: [Exhale] I dropped her off. Everything looked fine when I drove away. That’s the last time we saw her.
WFTV: What were the conversations that y'all had in the car when you dropped her off?
SS: Well, she was asleep for most of the way. Told her have a good day at school when she got out, I love her. She said thanks, love you too. That was it.
WFTV: And so where do you think she could possibly be? I mean… this isn’t, as I was told, this isn’t normal behavior.
SS: It is not normal behavior. She’s not the type that would just run off. We don’t know where she could be, and we’re scared. We just want her home.
WFTV: Are you, in a sense, blaming yourself?
SS: [Exhale] It’s hard not to.
WFTV: Why?
SS: I dropped her off early. I coulda waited longer. She looked okay. She was walking towards the school when I saw her. It was like any other day, so I went on with my day. It’s hard not to blame myself.
WFTV: What has the conversation been with Jenn since?
SS: [Exhale] She’s been very… well, it started with me. She’s been holding it together really well and uh… but it just keeps coming in waves. Just reality keeps hitting… that we don’t know where she is. We don’t know if she’s safe [exhale], and we’re just scared. We just want her home.
WFTV: Have you, like literally, put boots on the ground? Went out…
SS: Yeah, I even went out with the cops… uh, where I had dropped her off and we looked all up and down the road, all in the communities. There was nothing helpful. None of the cameras were pointing at the street, nothing. Which, in 2024, was surprising. The church across the street had some cameras, and they mentioned seeing her waiting around in the parking lot for awhile before moving on and that was it. But it was grainy… it was grainy footage and not much else.
WFTV: Did it seem like she walked west, east…
SS: Uh, they said in the direction of the school. I’m not sure what that is.
WFTV: What was the language—and not language verbally, language body language when you dropped her off. Did she seem happy?
SS: Happy.
WFTV: …was she like I’m going to meet my friends?
SS: She seemed happy. She got a happy weekend. She just turned 13. She’d had a 13th birthday party. She was happy that we were all together here and she was just very happy. She’s a happy kid, very sweet. She’s a very sweet girl. She brings a lot of joy to us, and we just… [pause] not knowing.
WFTV: So, the unknown is killing you?
SS: Yes. It’s like our whole world is upside down. And not feeling her presence here is… [wipes eyes] I’m sorry. It’s hard.
WFTV: Oh no, you’re fine. No need to apologize.
WFTV: Um, what do you want our viewers to know when they see this?
SS: She’s a sweetheart. She’s a very sweet, kind girl. Just please be nice to her. Bring her home if you find her. Tell her that we love her. [Inhale] Wherever she is, I hope she’s okay.
WFTV: I mean if someone were to come into contact with her—and you gave me her diagnoses—would it be easy to approach her without like any agitation or anything?
SS: Yeah, yeah. She’s a good kid. She’s a good kid.
WFTV: If you can sum up in one complete sentence. Waking up, getting ready to drop her off at school, dropping her off at school, to now speaking to me after talking to the police about her being missing for over 24 hours right now. In one complete sentence, what would that be?
SS: A living nightmare. It’s a living nightmare. Day started off like any other, and I just want to wake up. I just get hit with waves of the reality, just it setting in. Soon as it got dark last night, we really… we started falling apart because we knew it wasn’t going to come to an end. And now we’re going on 24 hours and still nothing. Just conflicting reports here and there. People saying they see this or that. None of it’s conclusive and none of it’s helpful. We just want our baby girl back.
WFTV: Tom, any questions? [No, I’m good.]
WFTV: Thank you.
FOX 35 ORLANDO VIDEO WITH JENNIFER SOTO ON 2/27/2024
Madeline Soto missing: Jenn Soto, Maddie's mom, talks daughter's disappearance (full interview)
(transcribed by me)
FOX 35: Jenn, go ahead and tell us what’s going on with Maddie.
JS: Well, um, Monday morning we took her to school. We dropped her off close to school. Across the street from a church, which is very—it’s right next to the school. Um, she crossed the street. Um, and walked to school—what we thought, walked to school. Um, my boyfriend who drove her to school, drove away at that point. Um, it was seen on video footage that she hung out in the parking lot of the church for a few minutes, and then got up and walked towards the school. But she never made it—that walk from—and that was around 9:00 am when she got up. Uh, she never made it to school after that. Um, it’s right next to the school. I don’t know why she didn’t make it. I don’t know if something happened on her walk along the way or if she got taken, but she never made it.
FOX 35: And that was the last anyone seen of her or heard from her?
JS: Yes, umm. I went to pick her up after school, um, and she wasn’t there. Um, so I started driving around maybe thinking she took a walk. Maybe she decided to walk to my mom’s office, which is pretty close to the school as well. [Exhale] Drove around and didn’t see anything. I drove back to the school. The school was closed. I emailed one of her teachers. They confirmed that she was absent all day. At that point is when I called 911. Because I realized something was truly wrong.
FOX 35: Have you heard from like any of her friends? Has she been active on any social media?
JS: She hasn’t been active on social media. None of her chats, none of her games. Uh, we did contact all of her friends. None of them had seen her Monday or heard from her. Um, yeah there’s no update.
FOX 35: Hon, I have to ask this, and I know I hate doing it… is she the type that would run away? Has this happened in the past or anything? Has she ever threatened to run away?
JS: Never. She’s never ever mentioned anything like this before, and she’s not the type to want to do this. Umm, she did accidentally leave her phone on Monday, um, which is kind of normal for her. She’s got ADHD and very forgetful. Um, so she left her phone at home, so there’s no way to trace her. They tried tracing her school laptop, um, but that’s off. So, it’s not pinging to anything.
FOX 35: Jenn, what is your fear? I know you mentioned she’s on games and stuff. Do you think she could have like met somebody and tried to meet up with them?
JS: From—she’s open to us—she’s open with us about, you know, if she’s got a crush on anyone. And she told us she had a crush on someone at school, um, and I looked at their messages. Nothing was weird. I looked at all of her messages, all of her deleted messages… nothing seemed weird. It didn’t seem like she was talking to anyone. Um, so I don’t feel like that’s the case. I feel like she may have been taken, um, because this is not like her at all to just disappear and not tell us. Not let us know where she’s going or who she’s with. Umm, yeah.
FOX 35: What are you getting from law enforcement? I mean, are they actively searching for her? I mean what happens now? Especially that she doesn’t have her phone with her.
JS: Um, so, as far as I know, they’re conducting a search around the school. Behind the school there’s Shingle Creek. There’s a wooded path area that you can walk. It’s a hiking path. They are going back there with their K9 dogs. Uh, they’ve taken a piece of her clothing to see if they can trace her scent. Umm.. [pause] they’re also taking their own vehicles. I’m not sure what type of vehicles, but they’re going into the woods to search for her. Umm, but I don’t feel like that’s going to find anything right now. We’ve had people all day on that trail sending us photos to see if anything there looks familiar—like her personal belongings—and nothing is hers. So, I’m not sure. I’m not sure where to go from here. I’m just contacting the news to get the word out, to get some help because I’m desperate. I—I’m a wreck right now.
FOX 35: So, you think she’s been taken against her will?
JS: I do think so, yes.
FOX 35: As a mom, you know, what is your mother’s intuition telling you right now?
JS: I’m trying to hope for the best, but I’m just scared for her. I want her to be okay. I want her to be safe. I don’t want—I don’t want her to come back harmed. I just want her back… whatever that means. I just, I just want her back.
FOX 35: Are you getting any updates from law enforcement? I mean, yes, they’re searching that small area, but have they gotten any hits on any scent or anything like that?
JS: They haven’t let me know anything. They haven’t updated me since I spoke to them this morning. I’ve contacted them to get some information or to give them some leads, but I’ve heard nothing back.
FOX 35: And Jenn, there’s no way that she just being a teenager was like maybe had a fight with you or argument with you, you know, and was like you know what… I’m going to hang out at so and so’s house and teach her a lesson, you know. Could that be a scenario?
JS: I don’t believe so. We actually haven’t gotten into a fight in like a few weeks or arguments or anything like that. If anything, on Sunday she celebrated her 13th birthday with my entire family and she had the best day. She was so happy. She showed us all her gifts, um, she was – she’s just a happy girl, and she showed it on Sunday night when she went to bed. She was so happy… you know, she had the best day. [Exhale] I just… you know there was no, there was no moment in that evening from when she got home from the party that she had her phone or had the laptop. She went straight to getting ready and went to bed. So, I know she didn’t have any conversations with anyone. She didn’t make plans with anyone. I didn’t—I didn’t see any of that.
FOX 35: So, she spent the whole Sunday celebrating her 13th birthday. Was her 13th birthday on that Sunday or that was just the time you guys were celebrating?
JS: That was the time we were celebrating. Her birthday was on Thursday, the 22nd. She just turned 13.
FOX 35: But that’s just so heartbreaking to be celebrating her 13th birthday and then the very next day…
JS: She’s gone.
FOX 35: …that’s the last you’ve seen of her.
JS: Yeah, yeah.
FOX 35: I mean, where do you go now? Are you gonna go out there and search and look? Are you sticking by the phone? Are you—you know, what are you doing?
JS: I’m staying at home, staying by the phone hoping she just appears. Um, I know my entire family is out looking. They’ve all spread a bunch of flyers. They’ve gone—I’ve had people contact me that they’ve gone to the International Airport to spread flyers to Amtrack to Greyhound. Just anyway that—if someone’s taken her and they’re trying to take her—just to show her face. Just to make sure, you know, she’s not being taken against her will.
FOX 35: And you mentioned ADHD. Was there anything else, maybe mentally, going on or that you knew of?
JS: Um, she does suffer from anxiety and once upon a time she was diagnosed with autism. Uh, we had her re—what’s the word—reevaluated. We had her reevaluated, um, a few months ago actually. And they told us no, she doesn’t have autism, but she did have some autistic traits. She did have ADHD, some autistic traits, but not autism. So, I’m not sure where to leave with that. Because one doctor said she did and one doctor is saying she doesn’t, and I don’t know. She’s just in the middle, I guess. ‘Cause she does have some tendencies, but socially she’s pretty great. So, I’m not sure.
FOX 35: And would the video that you were able to see whenever your boyfriend dropped her off… where was that? Like which video? Was that like a surveillance camera?
JS: It was a surveillance camera from the church. Peace Church, right next to Hunters Creek Middle School.
FOX 35: And do you have that video?
JS: I don’t have that. Umm, they didn’t show me. They wouldn’t show me… it was actually, they—my sister was the one at location and they were letting her know what they saw on camera.
FOX 35: Okay.
JS: They didn’t show it to any of us.
FOX 35: Got it, okay.
FOX 35: Jenn, is there anything that you’d like to add?
JS: [Exhale] Please, please, please if you have any information, contact me, contact law enforcement. Um, any—any information helps. Umm, Maddie if you see this, please come home. Please be safe. I love you very much. If you have my Maddie, please just let her come home. We just want her home.
