Patricia Chavez,13 and sis Maria age 3, (Found Safe) missing from Aurora, IL 9/18/08

[packy]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6401497

AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- Aurora police are searching for two sisters who disappeared Thursday night.
Around 6 p.m., the two girls went to a grocery store in the 600-block of East New York Street, which is around the corner from their home. Patricia Chavez, 13, and her 3-year-old sister, Maria, have not been seen since.
Patricia is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds, with brown eyes and long, black hair. She was wearing a red shirt, a blue jean skirt, and black leggings.
Maria is three feet tall, 40 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes. She had on a white shirt and orange skirt.
If you know anything about their whereabouts, you are urged to call Aurora police at (630) 801-6655 or 9-1-1.

[packy]

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/09/2-aurora-girls-missing-1.html

Security cameras at the grocery store in the 600 block of East New York Street show Patricia Chavez (left) and her younger sister Maria entering about 6 p.m. and leaving 40 minutes later. The girls never returned to their home in the 500 block of Spring Street, police said.

The girls' mother called police to report them missing at 11:15 p.m., police said.

[packy]

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/missing.jpg

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/09/2-aurora-girls-missing-1.html

[Grande]

Aurora police eye grocery's security images of man near 2 missing girls
By Sara Olkon | Chicago Tribune reporter
2:08 PM CDT, September 19, 2008

Security cameras captured images of a man apparently following two missing young Aurora girls as they made their way through a neighborhood grocery store, the girls' mother said Friday.

Whether that man had anything to do with the disappearance of Patricia Chavez, 14, and Maria, 4, has not yet been determined.

Investigators are looking at the security video.

"It's really hard to tell if [the man's] movements could be considered suspicious," said Dan Ferrelli, Aurora police spokesman. "That's certainly something we're aware of and we're looking at."

The girls' mother, Zulema Peña, said police showed her part of the store's videotape so that she could identify her daughters. She said she saw "a man following them, someone right behind them. Following for 10 minutes."

Peña on Friday anxiously awaited word from police.

"I am praying a lot to God that he returns them to me," Peña said in Spanish Friday from the duplex in a quiet neighborhood where she is raising five daughters.

Peña described Patricia as a happy child who is never in trouble. The family calls her Pati.

The girls walked a block from their house to the El Paso Grande grocery, in the 600 block of East New York Street, about 6 p.m. Thursday night to buy yogurt. Security video showed the girls leaving the store 40 minutes later, but they never made it back to their home in the 500 block of Spring Street.

Police said the family searched for the girls for several hours before calling police. Peña said the family called police at 11:15 p.m. to report the girls missing.

Aurora police searched for the girls through the night.

Joel Rodriguez, who manages the El Paso Grande, said he was awakened at home about 3 a.m. by investigators who wanted to see the security video from the store.

"I feel so sorry for them," Rodriguez, a father of two, said of the girls' family.

Peña is separated from the girls' father and he lives nearby, but Peña said the girls are not with him.

Reached by phone, an emotional Jesus Chavez said Peña called him at about 10:50 p.m. He rushed over to the house, then went to the store and searched the streets looking for the girls. "I have nothing but God to help me here," he said in Spanish. "I am praying to God."

When informed about the alleged man in the video, he choked up.

"All of a sudden she disappears?" he said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-aurora-girls-missingsep20,0,6179208.story

[nicky]

Oh lord, this isn't good! I hope they are found safe! And I hope and pray they are unharmed!

[packy]

I hope they can locate that man.

[packy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-aurora-girls-missingsep20,0,6179208.story

An Aurora teenager who sent police and relatives on a massive search after she "disappeared" with her 4-year-old sister for 21 hours was found safe and unharmed Friday afternoon.

Patricia Chavez, 14, last seen Thursday at 6:40 p.m. leaving a grocery near her family's home, had spent the night at a friend's house, police and family said.

The reason for the girl's disappearance: She thought it was a good way to get attention at home, police said.

[nicky]

Thank goodness they found them. Hopefully someone sat her down and explained that this isn't the right way to get attention.

[emmeblu]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-aurora-girls-missingsep20,0,6179208.story

An Aurora teenager who sent police and relatives on a massive search after she "disappeared" with her 4-year-old sister for 21 hours was found safe and unharmed Friday afternoon.

Patricia Chavez, 14, last seen Thursday at 6:40 p.m. leaving a grocery near her family's home, had spent the night at a friend's house, police and family said.

The reason for the girl's disappearance: She thought it was a good way to get attention at home, police said.

My goodness. So glad the children are safe but wonder what was going on at home for a child to need attention that badly.

So good to read where children/adults are found and they are OK.