HOUSTON — Sometimes they’re mysteries that can take years to solve. Missing persons cases can be hard to crack, but this weekend there's free help and resources for families of the missing. Houston Missing Persons Day will be held at 1 p.m. at Saturday The Children's Assessment Center in Rice Village.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her,” said Gloria Jimenez, whose sister is missing. “It’s heartbreaking, it’s unbelievable, I still can’t accept it.”
Maria Jimenez-Rodriguez, 29, was last seen dropping off her daughter with a babysitter on June 21, 2018.
“We just have to keep our faith and hope and one day our case is going to be resolved," she said.
In Jimenez-Rodriguez’s case, there’s already been a big break. Houston Police charged Erik Arcenaux, 47, with murder last year, but he’s still on the run. Investigators say they were in some kind of relationship. Arcenaux was captured on surveillance video at home depot buying a chainsaw and heavy duty trash bags. Court records show blood was found in the home where he lived.
“Sometimes we believe that it’s only us, when this happens to you, you’re like oh my goodness why did this happen? Why me?” Jimenez said.
But she found hope through Houston Missing Persons Day. Sponsored by Texas Center for the Missing, it’s a chance for families to connect with the right people and resources to keep their cases alive.
“It’s a family, they understand what you’re going through and they treat you like family," she said.
A support system, this sister says encourages her to never give up.
“I’m not going to stop until I figure out what happened to her – I’m Maria’s voice," Jimenez said.
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