Found Safe TX - LF, 9, & dad, Hector Flores Jr, 49, hiking @ Big Bend Natl Park, 28 Jan 2022 *Arrest*

[Friday Fan]

I’ve seen the phrase “They both have family in San Antonio” several times but I’m confused about the need for the word both

Both of them. Hector's parents live in San Antonio. They are LF's grandparents.

The original press release had limited info. Today there was an article with more info.

Don't know anything about LF's mom.
A one-two sentence blurb from the dad's parents is all I know.

The vehicle was discovered on Saturday, February 5th. His parents had no idea that he was in Big Bend. The parents said that both Hector and LF like to camp and fish. That was about it.

 

[agilbe]

Big Bend National Park has a facebook page. Worth a look. Not really any info, but there are some references to family and friends looking.

 

[carbuff]

Apologies if I missed it. But, is there a mother / wife ? What does she have to say? And, when they say gear left at the site, does that mean it was just lying around, or had they set up camp / a tent, etc. ? I haven’t seen this info posted anywhere so I assume we all have the same questions? Or, I just missed it which unfortunately isn’t uncommon these days

I might be reading too much into the scanty information in the articles, but it sounds like they had carried a load of gear from the truck to the campsite. If they had set up camp, I would have expected phrasing more like "left their tent and other gear." But not necessarily. Since there were personal items still in the truck, it sounds to me like something might have happened on the way back to the truck.

 

[agilbe]

I might be reading too much into the scanty information in the articles, but it sounds like they had carried a load of gear from the truck to the campsite. If they had set up camp, I would have expected phrasing more like "left their tent and other gear." But not necessarily. Since there were personal items still in the truck, it sounds to me like something might have happened on the way back to the truck.

My thoughts as well. I'm thinking they were scoping out a place to camp and on the way back to get there stuff......

 

[Friday Fan]

Big Bend National Park has a facebook page. Worth a look. Not really any info, but there are some references to family and friends looking.

NPS Big Bend NP Page: Log into Facebook

 

[Friday Fan]

I'm in a Texas hiking and backing group on FB and I see lots of people flaunting safety rules at Big Bend National Park. Another place where I see this happening is Guadalupe Mountains State Park.

I have a friend who goes to Big Bend every year and they literally train for it.
Yet then you see these people going on hikes with nothing but a 16 ounce water bottle and other hikers are having to come to their rescue...smh....

There is even a book entitled "Death in Big Bend"...Big Bend is the second most dangerous park after Denali. (Well the Virgin Island's is number 2, but I think it's due to recklessness)
This Is the (Real) Most Dangerous National Park in America

 

[Howl]

It's obvious from the BBNP facebook page linked by @fridayfan that friends and the Flores family are desperately worried.

 

[MAHBOOBOO]

From what I gather, we are not certain exactly where his truck was found, but from the info we do have, we could assume that his truck was near McKinney Springs on Old Ore Rd.

This is far from the most interesting part of the park... BUT there is one thing very interesting about the area. This is the area where most of the Big Bend dinosaur bones were found.

There is a plaque at the dinosaur fossil exhibit that tell you that the bluffs Southeast of the exhibit are where they found the bones. That would be near the McKinney Springs area. IF they went to the exhibit, perhaps they read that and were tempted to go look for some themselves. It seems foolish, but I can see how a dad would want to do that with their kid. Heck, I've wanted to go and do it! And who ISN'T gonna stop by the fossil exhibit with their kid while in BBNP.

 

[happyday]

From what I gather, we are not certain exactly where his truck was found, but from the info we do have, we could assume that his truck was near McKinney Springs on Old Ore Rd.

This is far from the most interesting part of the park... BUT there is one thing very interesting about the area. This is the area where most of the Big Bend dinosaur bones were found.

There is a plaque at the dinosaur fossil exhibit that tell you that the bluffs Southeast of the exhibit are where they found the bones. That would be near the McKinney Springs area. IF they went to the exhibit, perhaps they read that and were tempted to go look for some themselves. It seems foolish, but I can see how a dad would want to do that with their kid. Heck, I've wanted to go and do it! And who ISN'T gonna stop by the fossil exhibit with their kid while in BBNP.

Hey this is interesting information—thank you! It’s been nagging me that the truck was found on the NORTHERN end of Old Ore Rd. It’s like they didn’t quite get to anywhere in the park most people would go. Dinosaur bones could potentially be why, why not? For some reason I’ve had it in my head that they could have gone for some kind of school project or pictures or something. Because they didn’t keep driving to where the campsites are. They stopped like they were looking for something or doing something specific. They don’t live very far, so I can see a quick weekend trip being a perfectly normal thing to do. I still want to know if anyone at all was aware of their plans? I know in one article his parents said they had no idea they went to BB, but did ANYONE?

 

[MimosaMornings]

Hey this is interesting information—thank you! It’s been nagging me that the truck was found on the NORTHERN end of Old Ore Rd. It’s like they didn’t quite get to anywhere in the park most people would go. Dinosaur bones could potentially be why, why not? For some reason I’ve had it in my head that they could have gone for some kind of school project or pictures or something. Because they didn’t keep driving to where the campsites are. They stopped like they were looking for something or doing something specific. They don’t live very far, so I can see a quick weekend trip being a perfectly normal thing to do. I still want to know if anyone at all was aware of their plans? I know in one article his parents said they had no idea they went to BB, but did ANYONE?

Is there a custody issue? Sudden camping trip in very dicey weather in a remote park?
Something is off with the situation.
JMO

 

[happyday]

Is there a custody issue? Sudden camping trip in very dicey weather in a remote park?
Something is off with the situation.
JMO

It is weird. But if there was a custody dispute, what would be the point of driving into a national park and disappearing on foot? They weren’t parked close to the border at all, so unlikely they ran off to Mexico, right? I guess he could have parked where he did to throw everyone off, but then where did they go? They would have needed a ride to get anywhere from the truck really. It seems like a really remote place to dump a car and escape to somewhere. I don’t know! Details of their lives would be helpful, but we haven’t gotten any.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Some of us have been thinking that from the beginning. Something seems off about the whole thing.

mainly the fact of NO family outcry at all.

EDIT: ok i saw family worried on the fb page. but i still find the lack of info given odd.

 

[Friday Fan]

Is there a custody issue? Sudden camping trip in very dicey weather in a remote park?
Something is off with the situation.
JMO

If this was a custody issue, I believe law enforcement have would indicated this.

However, there is something a bit "off" because we haven't heard anything from the mother.

I assume that for some reason LF's mother did not know that she was missing or she would have likely contacted authorities...MOO

We don't know anything about her and we don't know the situation at all. All types of hypothetical situations are possible.

• Were all three living together in Ft Stockton?? (Well it certainly would be a red flag if they were all living together and she didn't let authorities know that they were missing)
• Does dad have custody? (Then not being in contact with mom would not be unusual)
• Do they have an informal arrangement where LF lived with her dad because mom thought it was best? (Then not being in contact with mom would not be unusual)
• Are mom, dad and LF estranged?
• Did mom have her parental rights terminated? (Contact would not be expected)
• Is mother an immigrant and didn't contact authorities when they went missing because she is afraid of being deported?
• Is mother an immigrant with an informal custody arrangement?
• Is mother an immigrant, who is also estranged from her daughter?
  • It happens
• Is mother living in Mexico or a Central American country?
  • It happens
• Is mother living in another state and does dad have custody?
• Are dad and his family also immigrants themselves?

We just don't know. All sorts of scenarios are possible. Every scenario is total speculation....

A big red flag would be if they were all living under the same roof in Ft Stockton as a family and mom is a US citizen and did not contact law enforcement.
I don't want to pass judgement because none of that information is available to us.

However, I do think if this was a custody issue, law enforcement would have put it in their initial press release.

I don't believe dad was trying to go to Mexico, because he could have simply gone through Presidio.

 

[happyday]

If this was a custody issue, I believe law enforcement have would indicated this.

However, there is something a bit "off" because we haven't heard anything from the mother.

I assume that for some reason LF's mother did not know that she was missing or she would have likely contacted authorities...MOO

We don't know anything about her and we don't know the situation at all. All types of hypothetical situations are possible.

• Were all three living together in Ft Stockton?? (Well it certainly would be a red flag if they were all living together and she didn't let authorities know that they were missing)
• Does dad have custody? (Then not being in contact with mom would not be unusual)
• Do they have an informal arrangement where LF lived with her dad because mom thought it was best? (Then not being in contact with mom would not be unusual)
• Are mom, dad and LF estranged?
• Did mom have her parental rights terminated? (Contact would not be expected)
• Is mother an immigrant and didn't contact authorities when they went missing because she is afraid of being deported?
• Is mother an immigrant with an informal custody arrangement?
• Is mother an immigrant, who is also estranged from her daughter?
  • It happens
• Is mother living in Mexico or a Central American country?
  • It happens
• Is mother living in another state and does dad have custody?
• Are dad and his family also immigrants themselves?

We just don't know. All sorts of scenarios are possible. Every scenario is total speculation....

A big red flag would be if they were all living under the same roof in Ft Stockton as a family and mom is a US citizen and did not contact law enforcement.
I don't want to pass judgement because none of that information is available to us.

However, I do think if this was a custody issue, law enforcement would have put it in their initial press release.

Do we even know if the mother is alive?

 

[MimosaMornings]

Do we know what school she attended? There’s three elementary schools in Fort Stockton. Maybe she mentioned something that day at school to a classmate or teacher?

Is there a missing flyer?

 

[carbuff]

From what I gather, we are not certain exactly where his truck was found, but from the info we do have, we could assume that his truck was near McKinney Springs on Old Ore Rd.

This is far from the most interesting part of the park... BUT there is one thing very interesting about the area. This is the area where most of the Big Bend dinosaur bones were found.

There is a plaque at the dinosaur fossil exhibit that tell you that the bluffs Southeast of the exhibit are where they found the bones. That would be near the McKinney Springs area. IF they went to the exhibit, perhaps they read that and were tempted to go look for some themselves. It seems foolish, but I can see how a dad would want to do that with their kid. Heck, I've wanted to go and do it! And who ISN'T gonna stop by the fossil exhibit with their kid while in BBNP.

Oooooh. I can see us going there with grandson (now 7), who is crazy about dinosaurs.

Might that have been the point of the trip in the first place?

 

[carbuff]

Do we even know if the mother is alive?

She could also be incarcerated or deployed, among other possibilities.

 

[bombardier]

Does anyone know who last saw them on the 28th at Big Bend? Was this an incidental sighting/caught on camera sighting or was this somehow who personally knew them?

 

[Ozoner]

I visited Big Bend once, many years ago. I remember being warned to stay out of "slot canyons" if there was any sign of rain because they could flood quickly and drown a person. I actually got semi-lost while I was hiking there because I hiked too far and didn't make it back to my camp site before it got dark. People who haven't visited some of these national parks don't realize how big they are and how easy it is to get lost.

 

[Friday Fan]

There was an article that provided more details a few days back:
Vehicle was discovered on February 6th
Truck was discovered near a campsite on the northern end of the park’s Old Ore Rd
Father's parents live in San Antonio
LF's father's parents did not know their son was in Big Bend
The grandfather said LF and her dad like to fish and camp
Fort Stockton man and daughter missing in Big Bend – The Big Bend Sentinel %

Apparently, I copied too much of the article in my original post....So...I think this OK...Wanted those following the thread to realize there was more info than the original press release.