GA M. G.-P.: Missing from Gainesville, GA - 29 May 2024 - Age 12 *Found Safe*

Spoiler

Hall County community comes together to help find 12-year-old who disappeared from her home

With few details available, family members say the biggest focus is finding her safe.

www.wsbtv.com

Hall County community comes together to help find 12-year-old who disappeared from her home​

Concern has been growing for 12-year-old M G-P five days after her disappearance in Hall County.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that a $20,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of G-P.

“We hope this reward money prompts someone who knows something about Maria’s whereabouts to come forward,” said Sheriff Gerald Couch. “Our investigators and investigative partners are following every lead they get, but so far, none of those leads have led us to Maria.”

“I feel like there’s more we can do about it,” Edward Andrade told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.

Andrade is the president of the Ambitions Car Club in Hall County and says as a parent he couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

He was part of a group of dozens of family, friends, teachers, and community members Sunday who made signs and knocked on doors near Atlanta Highway.

“About 30 of us, we walked the streets, we had flyers, we passed out flyers,” Andrade said.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released many details about what happened last Wednesday. Investigators say she was last seen at her home that day near Atlanta Highway and West Side Drive.

“We’re just worried maybe she’s out of state, possibly now, there’s no telling,” Andrade said.

With few details and plenty of determination, Andrade says his biggest focus is finding her safe.

“We’re just trying to do our part as a club, as a community,” Andrade said. “We can’t give up.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

‘We do consider Maria to be endangered’: Sheriff’s office releases statement, new flyer on missing Gainesville girl

The sheriff's office released a new flyer for Maria Gomez-Perez.

www.gainesvilletimes.com

‘We do consider M to be endangered’: Sheriff’s office releases statement, new flyer on missing Gainesville girl
In less than a week since the disappearance of a Gainesville 12-year-old, authorities said they have received three tips from 911 that haven’t panned out.

Authorities and community members continue to search for M G-P, who was last seen around 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 29, at her home on Westside Drive off Pearl Nix Parkway.

Investigators were handing out new flyers to people in the community on Tuesday.

Officials said they consider M to be in danger.

“Because of her age and because of the length of time she has been missing, we do consider M to be endangered at this time,” Hall County Sheriff’s Capt. Greg Cochran said.

Sheriff: 'No indication of foul play' in disappearance of 12-year-old Gainesville girl

Investigators are asking for the public's help to find a 12-year-old Gainesville girl missing for nearly a week.

nowhabersham.com

Sheriff: ‘No indication of foul play’ in disappearance of 12-year-old Gainesville girl​

Investigators are asking for the public’s help to find a 12-year-old Gainesville girl missing for nearly a week.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office says M G-P was last seen around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29 at her home on Westside Drive off Pearl Nix Parkway.

Investigators are following leads and seeking new ones in their search for the missing girl.

A news release says the sheriff’s office “has and continues to devote investigative and patrol resources to returning M home.”

At this time, investigators say there is no indication of abduction or foul play.

“There is no evidence indicating M was taken against her will,” the release states.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

'I miss you, please come home' | 12-year-old Gainesville girl's father speaks out after her disappearance

Her father spoke to 11Alive in Spanish at his home Wednesday evening, saying he just wanted his daughter to come back home.

www.11alive.com

'I miss you, please come home' | 12-year-old Gainesville girl's father speaks out after her disappearance​

As the search for a missing 12-year-old girl grows, so does her father's desperation.

Her father spoke to 11Alive in Spanish at his home Wednesday evening, saying he just wanted his daughter to come back home.

"Por favor, vuelve a casa. Te estamos esperando. Yo no puedo vivir sin ti lastimosamente," Andres said.

Begging for his daughter to come home, he was overwhelmed with emotion. In his message to his daughter he said he can't live without her.

Signs and flyers with her photo are on almost every corner in Gainesville. Many were handed out by Ambitions Car Club and hundreds in the community. They're helping facilitate the search for the 12-year-old, and as the days pass, it's become personal.

"We initially thought we were going to come out here and hand out flyers. We should knock on doors, let's go talk to people, let's go see if anybody knows about her, where she might be," Jesse Perez, the Vice President of the club, said.

While Hall County Sheriff's deputies continue their search they say they're extremely concerned about M's well-being and need the community to submit tips. As the work to find her grows, the message from dad and the hundreds looking is the same – they miss her, need to hear from her and want this 12-year-old home.

"Your family misses you; your dad wants to see you. If there's a way to contact somebody, don't be afraid to make that happen; every minute counts," Perez said.

There has been some concern in the community that there is not enough being done to find M. The sheriff's office addressed those concerns saying they are doing everything they can and searching around the clock.

Deputies requested a Levi's Call, Georgia's version of an Amber Alert, but it was denied by the GBI because M's case didn't meet three of the five criteria needed to issue an alert.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

$20K reward offered for safe return of missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

A $20,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of a 12-year-old Gainesville girl who has been missing since May 29.

www.atlantanewsfirst.com

$20,000 reward offered for safe return of missing 12-year-old Hall County girl​

Authorities continue to search for a missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said a $20,000 reward is being offered for M G-P’s safe return. She was last seen at her home on Westside Drive on the morning of May 29 and reported missing the next day.

“We hope this reward money prompts someone who knows something about M's whereabouts to come forward,” Sheriff Gerald Couch said in a statement. “Our investigators and investigative partners are following every lead they get, but so far, none of those leads have led us to M. The concerned citizens providing this reward want what we want – for M to return home safe.”

Any tips regarding M's disappearance should be made to HCSO’s Special Investigations Unit at 770-503-3232 or intelrequest@hallcounty.org. Tipsters can also call 911 or Hall County Dispatch at 770-536-8812.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Sheriff issues statement as search efforts continue for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

Officials are offering a $20,000 reward for her safe return.

www.wsbtv.com

Sheriff issues statement as search efforts continue for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl​

“As your Sheriff, I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the community as the men and women of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office continue their investigation to locate M G-P. Our community as a whole has faced numerous challenges over the years, but our resilience and determination always carry us through. Our top priority remains the safe return of M. I assure you that we are leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of a successful outcome. Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff’s office immediately. First, please keep M in your thoughts and prayers. Second, please do the same for our men and women as they work to bring her home.”


The sheriff’s office announced Friday that anonymous citizens are offering $20,000 as a reward in G-P’s disappearance.

“We hope this reward money prompts someone who knows something about M's whereabouts to come forward,” said Couch. “Our investigators and investigative partners are following every lead they get, but so far, none of those leads have led us to M.”

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released many details about what led up to her disappearance, but investigators say she was last seen at her home near Atlanta Highway and West Side Drive on Wednesday, May 29 around 10 a.m.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Hall County Sheriff provides update in case of missing 12-year-old girl

On Tuesday, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch provided the latest update on the missing person's case of Maria Gomez-Perez.

www.11alive.com

Hall County Sheriff provides update in case of missing 12-year-old girl​

Dozens of investigators are still urgently searching for a missing Hall County 12-year-old girl.

On Tuesday, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch provided the latest update on the missing person's case of M G-P.

Authorities previously said G-P was last seen at her home on Westside Drive on May 29 and was reported missing the next day. She is 5-foot 3-inches tall, weighs between 100 and 110 pounds, and has brown eyes and long black hair. Investigators previously said she was last seen wearing a bright blue shirt.

"We are all doing everything within our power to bring M home safe and sound. And make no mistake, the men and women of the sheriff's office and numerous other agencies have M's image burned in our hearts and into our minds," Couch said at Tuesday's press conference.

Along with the Hall County Sheriff's Office, Couch said investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Homeland Security and the Guatemala consulate-- over 70 investigators are working around-the-clock to find G-P.

So far, investigators said they've received nearly 70 tips in G-P's case and have conducted drone and K-9 searches at G-P's home. Couch said they've also interviewed G-P's family, school officials, her friends and neighbors.

"In the neighborhood, our team has canvassed the area, which means going door to door and speaking with every individual who lives there," Couch added. "Additionally, we used our marine unit boat to search portions of Lake Lanier."

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Something bigger than a runaway kid is going on here. Too soon to speculate with the lack of info released, but IMO it's much, much bigger.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Drones and dogs at the home. Not drones over the area, or surrounding areas, they say at the home. Maybe a news mistake.

Sheriff says community as a whole has faced numerous challenges over the years, WHAT does that have to DO with this missing child? ODD statement, seems to be making some excuse for something...

Clearly Amber Alerts didn't stick or serve the purpose it originally as meant to as each state has their own criteria now or named a different law, whereas here they have Levi's law. I'm sure to do with a missing child but still this child doesn't qualify and the original purpose and wider or broader parameters of Amber Alerts are long gone in most states.

I think a world that can't put such out for ANY child that is MISSING and IS a child is a sad world indeed.

No Alert but we have the GBI the F B I, Homeland Security and the Guatemala Consulate. I could say more but I will leave that RIGHT THERE.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Reward for missing Gainesville girl raised to $30K

Authorities believe a missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl is likely in danger and may have left home with an unknown person with whom she had previously communicated.

www.ajc.com

Missing Gainesville girl likely in danger, Hall County sheriff says​

On Tuesday, nearly two weeks after M's disappearance, the sheriff’s office said federal and international authorities have joined local law enforcement in trying to find her.

Sheriff Gerald Couch acknowledged that M may have willingly left her home.

Asked if M was thought to be in danger, Couch replied, “Well, she’s 12 years old and she’s been gone a week and a half, so I think that answers your question. She’s a child, and to be gone that long, that’s a serious issue.”

“But yes, I do consider her in danger. Very much so,” Couch said.

The FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, GBI, Gainesville Police Department and the Consulate General of Guatemala have joined Hall County deputies in the search, Couch said.

According to the sheriff, investigators have visited M's home several times and conducted multiple interviews with family members, friends and her school acquaintances. The team has employed forensics techniques, electronics and K-9 units to thoroughly search the home and other areas. Representatives from the Guatemalan consulate and FBI agents trained in Guatemalan dialect assisted local investigators as they interviewed members of M's community.

Investigators conducted targeted ground searches using drone teams and K-9s, searched Lake Lanier and seized multiple phones, the contents of which are being investigated, he said.

Couch has faced questions about why he didn’t issue a Levi’s Call (Georgia’s version of an Amber Alert) after M disappeared.

He said the conditions of the case did not meet the criteria for a Levi’s Call as set by the GBI. He pointed out that the sheriff’s office could only offer a generic description of M, and did not have a description of a suspected abductor or their vehicle.

While no Levi’s Call went out, Couch said the sheriff’s office performed a “media blitz” that included posters, digital billboards and distribution of an alert through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Couldn't do a Levi's call because of only a generic description but could do a media blitz with posters, etc Okay.

Makes it just dumb imo with stupid rules. Can't do the one but can do the other missing the very same things. Just can't have it reach the level of the I guess Amer or Levi notification of people. Whatever. Red tape. Shouldn't matter with a missing child imo but it does I guess. Tis the world we live in unfortunately for children.

I don't have the time and wouldn't go there anyhow but I gather there's likely more out there, on SM perhaps?

Only a generic description...

At 12 I'd say to look for online communications and her leaving to meet someone. The level of involvement here though for a 12 year old who may have run away is huge so what is really going on...Not that such involvement shouldn't always be that major and huge but we sure do not see it in every case.

I'm sure some know more, I am just reading between the lines of posts here to the extent I can and haven't followed any of it closely.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Reward increased to $30K in search for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

Maria Gomez-Perez has been missing for two weeks after disappearing from her Gainesville home one morning. Officials are hoping the $30,000 reward will help them find her safely.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Reward increased to $30K in search for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl​

Law enforcement officials are hoping an increased reward may help their desperate search for a 12-year-old Gainesville girl who has been missing for two weeks.


"There are so many possibilities of where she could be and what could’ve happened to her," Couch said. "I do consider her in danger, very much so."

To help with the search for G-P, an anonymous businessperson has donated $10,000 for information about her disappearance. With the new donation, the reward now stands at $30,000.

"As investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies push forward in efforts to locate M, I am again thankful for another outpouring of support with the extra reward funding," Sheriff Gerald Couch said. "Someone in the community has that single clue or piece of information that could lead to M. I pray this increased reward is encouragement for them to come forward."


More than 70 people have been officially involved in the investigation, including members of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Homeland Security and the Consulate of Guatemala.

Couch said they have distributed 50,000 fliers and have placed digital billboards on four heavily-traveled roads around the county.

Officials believe M may have made contact with someone outside the home on the day of her disappearance, but they don't know who that person was. Investigators have downloaded data from several phones associated with M and have combed her social media for clues.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Spoiler

Reward for missing Gainesville girl raised to $30K

Authorities believe a missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl is likely in danger and may have left home with an unknown person with whom she had previously communicated.

www.ajc.com

Missing Gainesville girl likely in danger, Hall County sheriff says​

On Tuesday, nearly two weeks after M's disappearance, the sheriff’s office said federal and international authorities have joined local law enforcement in trying to find her.

Sheriff Gerald Couch acknowledged that M may have willingly left her home.

Asked if M was thought to be in danger, Couch replied, “Well, she’s 12 years old and she’s been gone a week and a half, so I think that answers your question. She’s a child, and to be gone that long, that’s a serious issue.”

“But yes, I do consider her in danger. Very much so,” Couch said.

The FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, GBI, Gainesville Police Department and the Consulate General of Guatemala have joined Hall County deputies in the search, Couch said.

According to the sheriff, investigators have visited M's home several times and conducted multiple interviews with family members, friends and her school acquaintances. The team has employed forensics techniques, electronics and K-9 units to thoroughly search the home and other areas. Representatives from the Guatemalan consulate and FBI agents trained in Guatemalan dialect assisted local investigators as they interviewed members of M's community.

Investigators conducted targeted ground searches using drone teams and K-9s, searched Lake Lanier and seized multiple phones, the contents of which are being investigated, he said.

Couch has faced questions about why he didn’t issue a Levi’s Call (Georgia’s version of an Amber Alert) after M disappeared.

He said the conditions of the case did not meet the criteria for a Levi’s Call as set by the GBI. He pointed out that the sheriff’s office could only offer a generic description of M, and did not have a description of a suspected abductor or their vehicle.

While no Levi’s Call went out, Couch said the sheriff’s office performed a “media blitz” that included posters, digital billboards and distribution of an alert through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

he says they only had a generic description of he yet pics and description went out on the media blitz. doesn't really make sense although I get they also didn't have a vehicle or suspect BUT he said generic description as a reason but her pic is on the media blitz stuff. just pointing that out before I forget. probably means little.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

'I miss you, please come home' | 12-year-old Gainesville girl's father speaks out after her disappearance

Her father spoke to 11Alive in Spanish at his home Wednesday evening, saying he just wanted his daughter to come back home.

www.11alive.com

'I miss you, please come home' | 12-year-old Gainesville girl's father speaks out after her disappearance​

As the search for a missing 12-year-old girl grows, so does her father's desperation.

Her father spoke to 11Alive in Spanish at his home Wednesday evening, saying he just wanted his daughter to come back home.

"Por favor, vuelve a casa. Te estamos esperando. Yo no puedo vivir sin ti lastimosamente," Andres said.

Begging for his daughter to come home, he was overwhelmed with emotion. In his message to his daughter he said he can't live without her.

Signs and flyers with her photo are on almost every corner in Gainesville. Many were handed out by Ambitions Car Club and hundreds in the community. They're helping facilitate the search for the 12-year-old, and as the days pass, it's become personal.

"We initially thought we were going to come out here and hand out flyers. We should knock on doors, let's go talk to people, let's go see if anybody knows about her, where she might be," Jesse Perez, the Vice President of the club, said.

While Hall County Sheriff's deputies continue their search they say they're extremely concerned about M's well-being and need the community to submit tips. As the work to find her grows, the message from dad and the hundreds looking is the same – they miss her, need to hear from her and want this 12-year-old home.

"Your family misses you; your dad wants to see you. If there's a way to contact somebody, don't be afraid to make that happen; every minute counts," Perez said.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Search continues for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

Groups continue to search for a missing 12-year-old girl out of Hall County. It's been over two weeks since anyone has seen Maria Gomez-Perez.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Search continues for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl​

Groups continue to search for a missing 12-year-old girl out of Hall County. It's been over two weeks since anyone has seen M G-P.

On Saturday, a group in Hall County looked anywhere and everywhere for any sign of G-P. Many in the group didn't know the family but wanted to do something to help.


Thanks to an anonymous donor, the reward for M's safe return has increased to $30,000. If you've seen her or know where she may be give the Hall County Sheriff's Office a call or call 911.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I think her dad's thing was posted twice because I thought it was something new until I read it and then pretty sure I read it back a bit. Didn't compare side by side but same pics, same words by dad, so I don't think he talked anew.

I'm withholding judgment on this one or an opinion but I'm not liking it.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Reward increases to $50K for safe return of missing 12-year-old from Gainesville

Authorities said Gomez-Perez was last seen at her home on Westside Drive on May 29.

www.11alive.com

Reward increased to $50K for missing Gainesville 12-year-old girl last seen three weeks ago​

The Hall County Sheriff's Office is increasing the reward for the safe return of M G-P, a missing 12-year-old girl from Gainesville.

In a release on Wednesday, deputies announced the $50,000 reward.

HCSO and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are continuing to search for G-P and are seeking any information regarding her whereabouts.

“Our investigators and investigative partners are following every lead they get, but so far, none of those leads have led us to M. The concerned citizens providing this reward want what we want – for Mto return home safe," Sherriff Couch previously said.

Anyone with information regarding G-P's disappearance should contact HCSO’s Special Investigations Unit at 770-503-3232 or intelrequest@hallcounty.org. Tips can also be phoned into 911 or Hall County Dispatch at 770-536-8812.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I find it sad when the only news in cases are about vigils or increased rewards. Nice support, community searches too, but it isn't an arrest. And the biggest rewards I've seen have never netted a thing. It's very heartwarming though to see community support.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Spoiler

Father of missing Gainesville girl: ‘My heart is broken in two’

Saturday marks one month since Maria Gomez-Perez, 12, vanished from her Gainesville home.

www.wsbtv.com

By Courtney Francisco, WSB-TV
June 29, 2024 at 11:38 pm EDT

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Saturday marks one month since M G-P, 12, vanished from her Gainesville home.

Her father, Andres G, spoke to Channel 2 Action News Reporter Courtney Francisco Saturday in hopes that his little girl might, somehow, hear his words.

He spoke in Spanish and said his heart is broken in two.

He said he sees her pink bicycle propped up on the porch every day. She would be riding it with neighborhood friends most nights.

He said he has been waiting for her day after day. Her entire family is missing her. Her friends are missing her, too.

Art Gallegos, Jr., is a leader in the Latino community in Hall County. He helped interpret for G.

“We believe she is out there,” said Gallegos.

He said she immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala to live with her father about five or six years ago. She was a student at Lyman Elementary School.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Website launched to assist in search for Maria Gomez-Perez

Sergio Franco lives in the community and started a website to assist in the effort to bring Maria home.

www.fox5atlanta.com

Website launched to assist in search for M G-P​

The search continues for M G-P. The 12-year-old Gainesville girl was reported missing on May 30.

According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, no substantial new leads have been offered in the case.

"At this time, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office still does not know where M is. Investigators do, however, remain vigilant in the search for M," the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement released Thursday. "Our agency is thankful for the private citizens who have made generous donations to the reward fund for M's safe return."

Sergio Franco lives in the community and started a website to assist in the effort to bring M home.

"I live day by day hoping that today will be the day that we get some information about M's location," Franco told FOX 5. "One thing that helps me remain hopeful is that I continue to see the community gathering together and pulling all the resources that we can in order to help find her."

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Spoiler

Community unveils new banner in search for missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez Perez

Maria was last seen in the driveway of her home on May 29 and hasn't been seen by family and friends since.

www.11alive.com

Community unveils new banner in search for missing 12-year-old M G P​

For more than a month, the question of what happened to 12-year-old M G P has weighed heavily on the Hall County community, and on Friday, a new effort was unveiled in hopes of bringing her home.

M was last seen in the driveway of her home on May 29 and hasn't been seen by family and friends since.

Community members looking to bring M home unveiled a banner on a busy stretch of Jesse Jewell Parkway in Gainesville. They hope that someone passing by will see it and help solve the case. One mother, Christy Vasquez, drove all the way from Marietta to show her support.

While Hall County investigators continue to pursue leads, M's dad, Andres G, says the banner is a sign of hope.

"Seeing everybody come together and not giving up, and seeing all these signs being put up, thank you so much," G said.