TX - AMBER ALERT: Norma Gaspar (11) and Angel Rodarte (7)

[Idaho4Groenes]

Amber Alert: Deputies search for missing Horizon City children

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office activated a local Amber Alert for two missing children this morning.

The missing children are Norma Gaspar, 11, and her 7-year-old stepbrother Angel Rodarte.

The children disappeared from their Horizon City home around 7 a.m. A short time later a neighbor saw them at a nearby gas station by themselves.

[snip]

Authorities said this is the second time the children have been reported missing.

In February 2008, they were reported missing from their home and were found at Norma's biological mother's home in Juarez.

Deputies believe they are trying to travel to Juarez again and are concerned for the safety of the children.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_13193604

[Idaho4Groenes]

NCMEC Poster: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewPoster&caseNum=1129743&orgPrefix=NCMC&searchLang=en_US



Amber alert issued for missing children, run away for 2nd time

An Amber Alert was issued Monday for two missing children that ran away from their home for a second time.

Officials said Norma Gaspar, 11; and Angel Rodarte, 7, allegedly ran away from their father's home. He has custody of the children, officials with the sheriff's office said.

[snip]

The children's step brother dismissed rumors his father physically abused the children.

"That's not true. She just doesn't want to be here. She wants to be with her mom because she let's her do whatever she wants," Jose Olivas.
In February 2008, the children ran away from their home and fled to Juarez to be with their biological mother.

They were later found and were re-united with their father in El Paso. While in Juarez, Norma told a reporter from XHIJ Channel 44 she and her brother were given a ride from Horizon City to Downtown El Paso by an unknown man, who allegedly gave them a dollar to cross the bridge.

Norma went on to say that a Juarez woman gave them another dollar to buy candy once they had crossed the bridge.

http://www.kvia.com/global/story.asp?s=10981089

[mysticrose]

I pray these children are found safe. The fact that this makes twice they have run away is scarey. Perhaps they need to address the current custody situation, it's apparent the girl does not want to be there may be more to it.
Please let them be safe....

[eyes4crime]

angel and Norma are at such tender ages to be running away. 7yo and 11yo don't usually run away unless they are in fear of their life. Hope someone helps these little ones and gets them out of that home. mho

[Idaho4Groenes]

Update: Two missing Horizon City children found safe

Two children who disappeared for the second time in 18 months were found safe Monday night, Sheriff's deputies said.

[snip]

The children were found unharmed Monday night, but Sheriff's deputies would not say where the children were found or by who.

The children and their parents were being interviewed by detectives.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_13193604?source=most_viewed

[Salem]

I think we had a thread on these two the first time they went missing. I'll try to search for it tomorrow. I'm too tired tonight.

I agree with the poster above - the custody situation needs to be reviewed. Something is going on here. Maybe the older brother doesn't understand what abuse is, so he doesn't see it? I don't know. It is not unusual for a child to choose to live with the most lenient parent. Still, why would the younger brother go with her? It sounds as if he has a different mother?

Salem

[mysticrose]

I am so glad they were found safe! I certaintly hope this is looked onto further as to why these children feel the need to runaway especially since the boy's mother is at home there where they stay.

[Kat]

I saw coverage of this last night and again this morning. This morning our local channel had pictures of the kids snapped with the custodial parents. It looked to be when they had been found this time and reunited.

It was reported that the first time they ran away, the girl told authorities that she ran away because one of the parents hit her. (Father IIRC)

That was investigated and never substantiated by CPS.

I noted how extremely young the boy is, he is quite small. The two pictures of him from last night were of him smiling very big...cute kid.

The pictures of the girl were not so. She is large for her age. She looked angry in the shot of her after she had been found. Also, in the picture of her and her parents, she was lying her head against her father's shoulder to hide her face.

From what I can remember the boy is not her full sibling. Meaning she has taken him or attempted to take him a total of two times across the border to Juarez as of today. She may only be a child herself but she needs some serious counseling. Juarez is horrifying right now. This month alone there have been over 200 murders. That is not a typo...200 murders this month.

I agree that CPS once again needs to investigate. But if there is no sign of abuse she needs to have counseling. IMHO.

[Kat]

http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=10981089&nav=abc0

Updated: Aug 25, 2009 02:34 PM MDT

...Eleven-year-old Norma Gaspar and 7-year-old Angel Rodarte were found about 9 p.m. Monday. Sheriff's officials said the children got a ride from a stranger to the Mexican border. From there they found another ride to a house where the girl believed her mother was living, but her mother is now living in California.

The children then called an uncle, who called Norma's father. The father, the children's legal guardian, went to recover them...



I guess they did make it over to Juarez last night.

[Idaho4Groenes]

Interesting that the mother moved without telling her daughter...

Also interesting that the girl takes her step-brother with her. He must think it's just an adventure. These kids are lucky that some psycho didn't offer to give them a ride.