Thread: Hispanic girl abandoned at Las Cruces store

http://www.borderlandnews.com/apps/pbcs ... 90314/1001

Local news Thursday, February 9, 2006

Hispanic girl abandoned at Las Cruces store

Steve Ramirez
Las Cruces Sun-News
Thursday, February 9, 2006

LAS CRUCES -- A young girl was abandoned early Wednesday at a Las Cruces convenience store.

The child, who speaks only Spanish, was left in the Pic Quik at Del Rey Boulevard and Bataan Memorial West about 1 a.m., police said.

"This is extremely unusual," said Officer Kiri Daines, spokeswoman for the Las Cruces Police Department. "It shocks the conscience."

The girl is Hispanic, is about 2 to 3 years old, weighs 34 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She has not been able give police any concrete information about where she's from or who her parents are. She appeared to be in good health.

The child has no birthmarks, scars or other distinguishing marks. When police discovered her, she was wearing a medallion on a string necklace, a blue fleece coat, pink pants and white Nike shoes with a pink swoosh.

"The only distinguishing thing we found on her was the medallion with a string necklace," Daines said.

Police are looking for a newer model gray Kia sport utility vehicle and a mid-1990s model Silverado pickup that has a two-tone dark over light brown stripe. The vehicles pulled into the Pic Quik parking lot and parked near a vehicle vacuum, in the northeastern section of the lot.

The girl got out of the pickup with a Hispanic boy, who witnesses told police was about 10 to 12 years old. The boy took her into the store, near its entrance, but then went back to the truck without the girl.

Daines said both children had the hoods of their coats covering their heads inside the store.

The Kia was last seen traveling east on U.S. Highway 70, and the pickup was traveling north on Del Rey. Both vehicles were traveling at high speeds.

Two store clerks were working at the time of the abandonment. One was outside cleaning the well-lighted parking lot, and the other was inside minding the store.

However, neither of the employees was able to notice the license plates on the two vehicles.

The child has been turned over to the state Children, Youth and Families Department. Police are also working with law enforcement agencies in other states, and in Mexico, to determine whether the girl might have been abducted.

"If she's been abducted, we want to get her back to her parents," Daines said.

Anyone with information should call the Las Cruces Police Department at 528-4222, or Crime Stoppers at 526-8000. People who call Crime Stoppers may remain anonymous when providing information.

Steve Ramirez may be reached at sramirez@lcsun-news.com

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/6854242/detail.html

Las Cruces Police Release Identity Of Abandoned Girl

She looks like any adorable child, but police say a toddler is the victim of an unimaginable crime.

According to Las Cruces police, the 2 -year-old child has been identified as Carmen Aguilar-Luna of Mexico.

Police say she was dropped off at a convenience store on Las Cruces' north side around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning.

"We also believe that this was possibly planned, she was layered with numerous amounts of clothing. It was not cold enough last night," said Officer Kiri Daines, Las Cruces Police Department.

Daines said a boy got out of one of the two cars that parked near the vacuum cleaners in the store's parking lot, walked the toddler into the store and left.

Las Cruces police say they are still investigating the circumstances of the child's abandonment and ask you to call them at (505) 528-4222 if you have any information on this case.

http://www.ktsm.com/story_news.sstg?c=1569

Abandoned Girl Back Home
A two and a half year old girl abandoned in Las Cruces is back in Mexico.



Friday, February 10, 2006 — Las Cruces Police say Carmen Aguilar Luna was dropped off at a Pic Quic at Del Rey and Highway 70 Wednesday morning. She was brought into the convenience store by a boy about 10 or 12 years old to the candy aisle. The boy reportedly ran out the store and into a truck which then quickly sped away.

The Mexican Consulate tells NewsChannel Nine that a woman called their office claiming to be Carmen's aunt and saying the little girl's mother lived in Juarez.

The consulate also tells us she and her daughter were attempting to illegally cross into the United States, but the mother was having problems crossing with Carmen.

The mother reportedly had someone bring her daughter across and the mother was supposed to cross on her own and meet Carmen at the convenience store but never made it.

The consulate says that's when Carmen was left at the store. Carmen was taken to a family agency in Juarez after spending time at the New Mexico Department of Child Protective Services.

They tell us her mother must prove she is her mother before they can be reunited.