Thread: Mother desperately searches for son in the desert

Lupita Murillo Reports
Mother desperately searches for son in the desert

June 27, 2007 06:15 PM MST

A mother of three waits with desperation as officials search for one of her teenage sons missing in the deserts of Southern Arizona.

The mother is from El Salvador. She's working legally in New York, on a temporary visa. She paid a Coyote to illegally smuggle her 16 and 13 year old sons into the United States.

The group was near Sells when everyone scattered on June 3, leaving the 13 year old behind.

The boy's older brother was picked-up by the Border Patrol.

Their mother is now in Arizona helping comb the desert in triple-digit heat.

In a hotel room that's been her home for two weeks, Maria Diaz burns a candle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Next to the candle are pictures of Maria's sons. The youngest, a U.S. resident living in New York, the other two she was trying to bring into the United States.

Maria tells News 4 she struggled with the decision to bring her sons, but she just couldn't bear being without them. She says the Coyote promised her sons would be safe and they wouldn't be crossing through the desert.

The older brother Carlos, who was found by the Border Patrol, says he wasn't scared because he and his little brother Rafael held on the hope of being reunited with his parents and his youngest brother.

They crossed at Altar, Sonora. When they began their trek through the desert, they had food and water. But they quickly ran out. Carlos says he shared his water with his little brother.

When Border Patrol Agents came, the group scattered. That's when he was separated from his little brother.

He was taken to Florence and processed. His mother came from New York and he was released to her.

For two weeks they've been living in a motel, hoping and praying that Raphael will turn up.

Border Patrol agents are continuing their search for the 13 year old. However, on Saturday, Maria and her son Carlos must return to New York where her son has a scheduled court appearance.

Maria says as a mother, she knows in her heart her son is alive. She says he's crying out to her to keep looking and not to give up hope. That's why she keeps the candle of Our Lady of Guadalupe burning.
http://www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s= ... =Printable

The mother is from El Salvador. She's working legally in New York, on a temporary visa. She paid a Coyote to illegally smuggle her 16 and 13 year old sons into the United States.

Hmmm.........seems like that should be some sort of violation of her visa agreement. If nothing else, she is a co-conspirator to the smuggling. She has herself to blame for the loss of her son. Honestly, I hope they find him. It's hard to believe the BP couldn't find him in 23 days.

I honestly hope they find him and that he is OK. I really mean that. Afetr they find him, she needs to be deported for smuggling them in and putting them in danger.

She should not have left her children behind to come to America illegally. Then she had them breaking the law in a very dangerous desert crossing. I have no respect for this woman.

I have a relative. She came to America and she left her children behind with her mother. She supported her children the whole time she was legally in America. She became a citizen and her children immigrated legally and it cost a lot of money and it took a very long time.

Unlike this criminal mother who may have killed her own child bring them here illegally too. She never should have left her home and her children.

Dixie

Originally Posted by MW

The mother is from El Salvador. She's working legally in New York, on a temporary visa. She paid a Coyote to illegally smuggle her 16 and 13 year old sons into the United States.

Hmmm.........seems like that should be some sort of violation of her visa agreement. If nothing else, she is a co-conspirator to the smuggling. She has herself to blame for the loss of her son. Honestly, I hope they find him. It's hard to believe the BP couldn't find him in 23 days.

They will find him.......sooner or later.
One of the problems with kids his age is that they will hide and this youngster will be afraid to be caught so he most likely will find a place to crawl into to hide from searchers and get out of the sun.
The temps in the desert have been well over 100 and it doesn't take long for a person to go down from the heat, these high temps also take their toll on the searchers and K9's can only work for a short period of time out there.
I can only hope that he ran into somebody who is caring for him but this doesn't sound good.

She should also be arrested for child endangerment. An American mother would be sitting in jail already if she put her child in half that much danger.

wow. On one hand you hope the kid is ok, but on the other what kind of mom is that? Why did she not just wait?

Two bad things could have happened to her son. He either died of heat exhaustion or he was taken and possibly sold as a child slave by a coyote/drug smuggler. Or he could have ran with a different group of illegals and ended up in Oregon (a major destination of illegals these days)

I hope the kid's ok too, but after 23 days, it doesn't seem like there's a lot of hope. Being 13, the kid would definitely have been frightened beyond belief and probably did hide somewhere. But after that, he may not have lasted long without food or water.

Very sad story, but I'm very angry at the mother, working on a TEMPORARY visa, smuggling her kids into the US. She was rather naive to entrust her CHILDREN to a COYOTE, whom we all know are out for money only and not the welfare of their "customers."

I hope they revoke this woman's visa and send her and her son back to Mexico! This is child endangerment, and the court should not only see that, but revoke her visa due to conspiracy to illegally smuggle children into the US.

TexasGal

I do hope they find this child. And I would also hope this teachs a lesson to illegals who try and break the law. Would you risk your childs life?

Originally Posted by NotGoingToTakeItAnymore

She should also be arrested for child endangerment. An American mother would be sitting in jail already if she put her child in half that much danger.

I completely agree with this. And in addition, she should have to forfeit her visa because she committed a crime (smuggling her children into the U.S.).

And I suppose I should care whether they find her son or not...but frankly, I don't give a damn.