Missing Sylmar Mom, Kids Found At US-Mexico Border; Father Believed To Be In Mexico
SYLMAR (CBSLA) – A 29-year-old Sylmar woman and her three children who were feared to have possibly been kidnapped were found Tuesday afternoon after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said.
Liliana Lopez along with 9-year-old Jakob, 6-year-old Steven and 5-year-old Stephana were found walking by themselves at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and are with Los Angeles police detectives, police said.
There was no sign Lopez or the children were harmed.
Esteban Lopez, 28, the father of at least two of the children, is believed to still be in Mexico, police say.
They were first reported missing on the night of Oct. 9, Los Angeles police report.
The family was last seen at a home in the 13600 block of Fellows Avenue, near Glenoaks Boulevard. Police were called to that home at around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 by a relative who was concerned for the Lopez family's safety. The family dog was also missing.
Investigators have since learned that Liliana had taken out a restraining order against Esteban.
Police said they did not immediately issue an Amber Alert because they were unable to determine which vehicle the family was in.
On Tuesday, however, police confirmed that a 2007 Lexus 350 which belongs to the family has been recovered. Police did not say where it was found. Meanwhile, authorities are also searching for a second vehicle, a 1996 lifted white Chevy Tahoe with black rims and California license plate 3RSR716.
A neighbor who identified herself as Ginger told CBS2 that she saw the family almost daily and described them as quiet.
"They never fight, they never, it's nothing, they're good people, all of them," Ginger said.
Esteban is described as Hispanic, 5-foot-8, 180 pounds with a tattoo of "Lopez" on his chest.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts should call LAPD detectives at 213-486-6840.