HOUSTON — Councilmembers proclaimed Feb. 3, 2020 as Missing Persons Day in Houston to raise awareness for the thousands of children and adults who have disappeared in the greater Houston area.
The day is the brainchild of Jo Ann Lowitzer, whose daughter, Alexandria, went missing 10 years ago. The day of remembrance and awareness coincides with her daughter's birthday.
The Texas Center for the Missing reports more than 10,000 missing kids and more than 3,000 missing adults in the greater Houston area.
"If you don’t have hope, you have nothing," said Beth Alberts, CEO of the Texas Center for the Missing. "Once I know your story, I will carry it in my heart and think about it nonstop when I’m not sleeping at night."
The Children's Assessment Center hosted families from all over Texas whose loved ones went missing in the Houston area to help them connect with resources, such as Crime Stoppers and Texas EquuSearch, and share their sorrow with other families dealing with the same pain.
Each family got to share words about their loved ones and offer words of encouragement to other families.
Andre Moten, Sr.'s son, Andre, Jr. disappeared on October 18, 2019 from his home in Atascocita.
"My life is at a halt," said Andre, Sr. during an emotional speech. "I thank y’all for sharing y’alls stories. I didn’t even know that something like this existed."
There are several resources for people with missing persons cases:
Email: newstips@khou.com