GA Maria Gomez-Perez,12, missing from her home, Hall Co., 29 May 2024

[PommyMommy]

JUN 11, 2024

Hall County Sheriff provides update in case of missing 12-year-old girl

On Tuesday, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch provided the latest update on the missing person's case of Maria Gomez-Perez.

www.11alive.com

So far, investigators said they've received nearly 70 tips in Gomez-Perez's case and have conducted drone and K-9 searches at Gomez-Perez's home. Couch said they've also interviewed Gomez-Perez's family, school officials, her friends and neighbors.

"In the neighborhood, our team has canvassed the area, which means going door to door and speaking with every individual who lives there," Couch added. "Additionally, we used our marine unit boat to search portions of Lake Lanier."

Re-watch the Hall County Sheriff's full update in the video below:

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 11, 2024

Hall County Sheriff's Office holds press conference on Maria Gomez-Perez search update

On Tuesday, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office hosted a press conference to update the public on the disappearance of 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez. Gomez-Perez went missing May 29 and has still not been found.

accesswdun.com

[...]

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch spoke at the presser, saying that the latest search of Gomez-Perez’s home was this past weekend that included Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents.

Couch said that their work at the home involved interviews, forensic exams, electronics and K-9s.

[...]

... They also believe most or all of her family is from Guatemala, which is why the Consulate General of Guatemala was brought in to help with interviews and translations.

School officials, friends, social media friends, and neighbors have all been interviewed according to Couch.

The FBI is taking control of out of state leads, and phones have been seized with data being downloaded by investigators for potential leads.

[...]

 

[LadyL]

where are you sweet girl

 

[GaPeaches92]

Could a 12 year old really hide this long? Something happened to her.

I don't think she could, but that is MHO. I am hoping that getting the message out there and more involvement from the Latino community will turn up information that is going to help. The last update I read on WDUN said they are getting involved. I am also hoping that someone thought to check all those cars at the end of her road and Atlanta Hwy. It would be to easy to get into one and not be noticed.

Hall County Sheriff's Office holds press conference on Maria Gomez-Perez search update

On Tuesday, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office hosted a press conference to update the public on the disappearance of 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez. Gomez-Perez went missing May 29 and has still not been found.

accesswdun.com

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Reward up to $30k for safe return of missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl

Maria Gomez-Perez has been missing since May 29. She was last seen at her home on Westside Drive.

www.atlantanewsfirst.com

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The reward for the safe return of a missing 12-year-old girl out of Gainesville has increased, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

*****
The sheriff’s office said an “anonymous businessperson” added $10,000 to the reward, bringing it to $30,000.

*****

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 12, 2024

Search for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl enters second week

It's now been two weeks since anyone has seen Maria Gomez-Perez.

www.wsbtv.com

[...]

Channel 2′s Candace McCowan joined leaders from 15 churches in Gainesville as they searched for the missing girl. Their efforts included several K9 searches, even at Lake Lanier.

“One of the things that was said a lot was that it was that Maria was a little Latino little girl and that nobody cares about a little Latino girl,” organizer Norma Hernandez said.

[...]

“Just on the investigator front, the FBI provided a dozen personnel, Homeland Security has contributed six agents and the GBI has given us four agents, bringing the total number of investigators on this case to 70 people, including several intelligence analysts,” Couch said.

Investigators say they’ve handed out nearly 5,000 fliers and received nearly 70 tips, all of which have been investigated.

 

[PommyMommy]

https://www.facebook.com/hallcountysheriff/posts/787128046889995

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 13, 2024

Prayer vigil held for missing 12-year-old girl

Atlanta Road Church of Christ in Gainesville held a public prayer vigil for Maria Gomez-Perez. The 12-year-old girl went missing on May 29.

nowhabersham.com

[...]

Members of the Atlanta Road Church of Christ located in Gainesville held the vigil for the community to join together in prayer for Maria’s safe return.

Part of the service included a prayer for law enforcement personnel who have been working to find answers to Maria’s disappearance.

[...]

Maria’s father, Andres Gomez-Alonzo, appeared in a Facebook livestream on June 11 with a local pastor. Speaking in Maria’s native language, which is a dialect called chuj, Pastor Felipe Ramos from Iglesia Evangelica Pentecostes Rayos de Luz implored the community to remain vigilant.

Gomez-Alonzo spoke only briefly during the 38-minute video. It is one of the first times the young girl’s father has made a public appearance since first reporting his daughter’s disappearance.

[...]

Chuj language - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Chuj [tʃux] is a Mayan language spoken by around 40,000 members of the Chuj people in Guatemala and around 3,000 members in Mexico. ... In Guatemala, Chuj speakers mainly reside in the municipalities of San Mateo Ixtatán, San Sebastián Coatán and Nentón in the Huehuetenango Department. Some communities in Barillas and Ixcán also speak Chuj. The two main dialects of Chuj are the San Mateo Ixtatán dialect and the San Sebastián Coatán dialect.[4]

 

[beatrixpotter]

If she was last seen at her home what happened? Did anyone see her leave her home? There is not one camera in that area that picked up anything? I'm confused about how this is being handled. I live very close to this area and used to live in this town. Isn't the last person to see someone the one to be concerned about? This child just walked out of the house and disappeared?

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 15, 2024

Search continues for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

Groups continue to search for a missing 12-year-old girl out of Hall County. It's been over two weeks since anyone has seen Maria Gomez-Perez.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Groups continue to search for a missing 12-year-old girl out of Hall County. It's been over two weeks since anyone has seen Maria Gomez-Perez.

On Saturday, a group in Hall County looked anywhere and everywhere for any sign of Gomez-Perez. Many in the group didn't know the family but wanted to do something to help.

Georgia mother recounts past abduction while searching for missing Hall County girl

Another mother who volunteered on several searches for Gomez-Perez in the past weeks said she plans to continue searching until the young girl is found.

www.11alive.com

At the head of Saturday's search for Maria Gomez-Perez was a local mother whose daughter went missing for several months.

“She is 26 now but she was taken from me at nine months old," MG said. "She was taken to Mexico."

Another mother who volunteered on several searches for Gomez-Perez in the past weeks said she plans to continue searching until the young girl is found.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*Another mother who volunteered on several searches for Maria Gomez-Perez in the past weeks said she plans to continue searching until the young girl is found.

 

[GaPeaches92]

If she was last seen at her home what happened? Did anyone see her leave her home? There is not one camera in that area that picked up anything? I'm confused about how this is being handled. I live very close to this area and used to live in this town. Isn't the last person to see someone the one to be concerned about? This child just walked out of the house and disappeared?

Same as you in that I live near Gainesville, though I haven't lived there I do go there pretty frequently. Someone knows something and I'm just frustrated that the longer this goes on the harder it will be for the public to help. Two months in and they are just now starting to step up their efforts? People will forget what they witnessed, but I am with you there has to be cameras that picked up something. GDOT cameras, businesses, homes in the area and no camaras saw anything? They saw something, but investigators need to know what to look for, what car should they be looking for things like that. I just don't believe she just walked out and disappeared without a trace. The question is where is that trace?

70 agents nationwide are searching for 12-year-old Hall County girl who disappeared

The efforts to bring Perez home include the FBI, GBI, Homeland Security and the Consulate General of Guatemala

www.wsbtv.com

 

[mlhenn]

https://hoodline.com/2024/06/40-000-reward-for-missing-gainesville-girl-maria-gomez-perez-urgent-community-hunt-amplifies/

Update: $40,000 Reward

The Hall County Sheriff's Office, fortified with a $30,000 reward, urges the public to provide any information pertaining to her disappearance, as reported by Hoodline Atlanta.

Hoping to foster more clues, an anonymous donor contributed an additional $10,000, bolstering the existing reward.

 

[TwinkieDefense]

June 19, 2024 article - not sure what else is new, but increase in reward.

Reward for missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez increases to $50,000

With the investigation of missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez entering its third week, the reward for her safe return is now at $50,000.

accesswdun.com

[…]

With the investigation of missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez entering its third week, the reward for her safe return is now at $50,000.

[…]

 

[SpicyFruit]

So she went missing around Memorial day weekend. She is close to Lake Lanier, isn't that a super popular area to boat around Memorial Day? Maybe this is why they are looking out of state? A lot of traffic from all over.

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 19, 2024

Reward jumps to $50,000 for safe return of 12-year-old girl who vanished from Hall County home

Investigators have followed up on 142 tips in Gomez-Perez's case.

www.wsbtv.com

The investigation is entering its third week, with Sheriff Gerald Couch appreciating the ongoing community support of law enforcement efforts to bring Gomez-Perez home.

“To date, investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), in partnership with other local, state and federal law enforcement officials, have fielded 142 tips in Maria’s case. Many of those tips have been vetted with negative results; others remain under investigation,” Couch said.

Missing Hall County girl: Reward increased to $50K for 12-year-old

The reward for information that leads to the location of missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez has increased to $50,000.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Authorities believe Maria may have met someone when she left her home. Sheriff Gerald Couch stated that they have thoroughly searched her home, interviewed everyone who lives there several times, examined multiple electronic devices, and distributed thousands of flyers.

"The fact that she’s a child and has been missing for this long is a serious issue," said the sheriff. "There are so many possibilities of where she could be and what could’ve happened to her."

Reward increases to $50K for safe return of missing 12-year-old from Gainesville

Authorities said Gomez-Perez was last seen at her home on Westside Drive on May 29.

www.11alive.com

Her father spoke to 11Alive in Spanish at his home last week, saying he just wanted his daughter to come back home.

"Por favor, vuelve a casa. Te estamos esperando. Yo no puedo vivir sin ti lastimosamente," Andres said.

Begging for his daughter to come home, he was overwhelmed with emotion. In his message to his daughter he said he can't live without her.

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 22, 2024

Gainesville community gathers to pray for girl’s safe return

People from all over Gainesville came to the Triufantes de Jesuscristo Church to pray that 12-year-old Maria Gomez Perez returns home safe and alive.

www.atlantanewsfirst.com

People from all over Gainesville came to the Triufantes de Jesuscristo Church to pray that 12-year-old Maria Gomez Perez returns home safe and alive.

“This could be a family member. This could be my niece. It could be your niece. It could be your daughter. It could be my daughter,” he said. “So it’s important and it’s imperative that we unite as one body of Christ, as one person, as one people to really focus and try to get people to bring awareness of her whereabouts.”

 

[Snoopster]

The public has little to go on.

We don't know who Maria lives with (i.e. does she have siblings? Extended family?)
How long has Maria lived on that street? Does she have any friends in the neighborhood? What does she tend to do outside of school? Does she ever go over toward Target and WalMart? Does she like to go walking in the more rural areas? Does she have a bike? A cell phone?
Does she speak English?
When was the last time Maria was seen by other than a family member? Who notified police that she was missing?

So many questions.
Where are you Maria?

 

[Snoopster]

I'm guessing that LE is holding many cards close to their chest. And I'm sure they have their reasons.

That's unfortunate because if they released more details then more media and everyday people would be aware, and care, about the fact that a 12 year old girl is missing.

I'm just hopeful that LE has a strong lead in this case. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[PommyMommy]

JUN 27, 2024

Maria Gomez-Perez disappearance: No new leads as search enters second month

The search for a missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl is entering its fifth week.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Thursday marked four weeks since Maria Gomez-Perez disappeared. She was reported missing the following day, May 30.

According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, no substantial new leads have been offered in the case.

"At this time, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office still does not know where Maria is. Investigators do, however, remain vigilant in the search for Maria," the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement released Thursday. "Our agency is thankful for the private citizens who have made generous donations to the reward fund for Maria’s safe return."

Four weeks later and still 'no substantial leads' in case of missing Gainesville girl, investigators say

Authorities previously said Gomez-Perez was last seen at her home on Westside Drive on May 29 and was reported missing the next day.

www.11alive.com

On Thursday, the Hall County Sheriff's Office provided an update that investigators have received leads from several states, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Illinois and Maryland. However, investigators said none of those leads have brought them closer to finding Gomez-Perez.