TX Monica Cassandra Carrasco (16) - Balmorhea TX, 2003

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Missing Since: October 1, 2003 from Balmorhea, Texas
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: December 13, 1986
Age: 16 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 100 - 111 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Hispanic female. Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes. Carrasco had red streaks in her hair when she was last seen. She has pierced ears, a chicken pox scar on her forehead near her hairline, a small light-colored mole on her left cheek, and dimples in both cheeks.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A long beige or white nightgown and no shoes.
Medical Conditions: Carrasco is supposed to be taking anti-depressant medication which she does not have with her. She also suffers from anorexia and low blood sugar, and she was on a strict diet in October 2003. Carrasco was under a doctor's care at the time of her disappearance and may be in need of medical attention.

Details of Disappearance

Carrasco was last seen at her aunt and uncle's home four miles east of Balmorhea, Texas late in the evening of October 1, 2003. She is believed to have left the residence sometime between 11:00 p.m. on October 1 and 7:30 the next morning. She may have been carrying her large white or black Bible with her.

Extensive searches of the rural, rugged area around Carrasco's aunt and uncle's home have yielded no clues as to her whereabouts. Carrasco may have left the Balmorhea area to meet someone, possibly an individual she contacted through the Internet. Her aunt and uncle believe she may have become disoriented from her medications, left the house, and gotten a ride with a passing motorist, possibly on Highway 17 which runs near their home.

A bus driver allegedly harassed Carrasco in May 2003, five months before her disappearance. She did not report the incident to any official authority, but was so shaken by it that she refused to take the bus to school after that. The bus driver was interviewed and has been ruled out as a suspect in her disappearance, but Carrasco's uncle failed a lie detector test in relation to her case.

While Carrasco apparently left the house of her own accord, police believe she may be in danger. She became depressed following her father's death from bone cancer in 2000 and was hospitalized for the depression and anorexia nervosa after losing over fifty pounds. After she was released from the hospital, she decided to live with her aunt and uncle because she was angry with her mother. Carrasco's mother says their relationship problems were not serious, however, and she does not believe her daughter ran away.

Carrasco was a junior at Alpine High School at the time of her disappearance and is described as a very religious person. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Reeves County Sheriff's Office
432-445-4901
OR
Texas Department of Public Safety
800-346-3243

Charley Project
NCMEC