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Few leads on missing Avon kids
Police say witnesses may be afraid to talk due to illegal status

Police say convicted sex offender Pedro Mata Rodriguez fled Friday with his live-in girlfriend's children, 15-year-old Jessica Marbella Garcia and 11-year-old Jose Luis Cerrato. They ask that anyone with information call Vail police dispatch at 970-479-2200.STORY TOOLS

Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News
August 14, 2006

The search for a convicted sex offender who may have abducted two Avon children has been stymied because many of the people who could provide helpful information are reluctant to talk, possibly because they are in the country illegally, Avon police said Sunday.

Officer Dave Wineman said authorities need the public's help, particularly in determining what kind of vehicle the group is traveling in.

He noted that police will not question anyone who comes forward about their immigration status.

"Our main concern is getting the children back safely," Wineman said.

Authorities say Pedro Mata Rodriguez left Friday with his live-in girlfriend's children, 15-year-old Jessica Marbella Garcia and 11-year-old Jose Luis Cerrato.

The children's clothes and other belongings were gone, and Jessica left a note stating she was leaving and would not be back, police said.

She did not say who she was with or where she was going.

Rodriguez, who also goes by the names Felipe Rodriguez Gonzales and Jose Alfredo Manzano, was convicted in Florida in 2000 for fondling a child and has been known to carry a gun.

According to police, Rodriguez had been living with the children's mother on and off for about four years, though she did not know his criminal history included a sex crime until she reported her children missing Friday afternoon.

The mother said she last saw the children when she left for work around 5 a.m. and that there had been no fight or other reason for Rodriguez to take off with the kids.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert Friday but canceled it Saturday because they believed Rodriguez had left the area, Wineman said.

Rodriguez is believed to be en route to either Texas or Mexico, though authorities have not been able to track him using traditional methods, such as monitoring his credit card use or ATM withdrawals.

"He's smart," Wineman said.

The mother's sister, Elizabeth Barahona Oneida, 26, is also believed to be with Rodriguez and the children. Wineman said it appeared Oneida may simply have wanted to catch a ride in the direction of her native country of Honduras.

Avon police have enlisted the help of the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and had received a handful of calls but no valid leads as of Sunday afternoon, Wineman said.

He said the children's mother, who also is from Honduras, had been reluctant to issue a public plea for help in finding the kids, possibly because of a "cultural barrier" and distrust of police. Others who may be able to provide information about the vehicle Rodriguez is using or the location he may be heading also have been tight-lipped, Wineman said.

"It's been a challenge getting leads," he added.

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Rodriguez.

They ask that anyone with information call Vail police dispatch at 970-479-2200