There is still no sign of a missing mother and her two children from Mobile County, but at least two arrests have been made in the case. Sheriff Paul Burch said investigators are still working the case and zeroing in on a group of painters, some of whom are illegal immigrants, working for construction companies.
Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, her daughter Niurka, 17, and her two-year-old son, Anthony, were last seen on January 30.
Deputies arrived at their home in the 9000 block of Ben Hamilton Road and discovered blood, their phones and a missing mattress.
Juan Carlos Argueta Guerra, 31, is charged with three counts of first-degree kidnapping. He was arrested on Monday after fleeing from a vehicle in Baldwin County. Burch told 1819 News he is in the United States illegally. Guerra was in custody in 2021 with a criminal history, but was released due to Biden administration policies.
Silverio Garcia, 60, was arrested on February 3 and charged with certain persons forbidden to possess a pistol. Garcia, the mother's employer, is an illegal alien from Guatemala. He is also in a relationship with one of the mother's older daughters and is related to the father of the youngest son, Burch said.
Burch said detectives are working to get more information from the suspects and from the people they are associated with. However, he said most of them are here illegally and are hesitant to speak with law enforcement. Burch said the sheriff's office is not set out to arrest illegal immigrants who provide information in the case, as long as they have not committed any other crime.
"They're all intertwined and there's a common denominator of these paint companies that they work for," Burch added. "And we're still hoping that some other individuals will come forward and tell us a little more."
The father of the young son has been cleared as a person of interest at this time, but Burch said they are still investigating his ties with the suspect.
Investigators believe the victims were alive when they were taken. Burch said he hopes the arrests lead to more information. Juan Antonio Garcia is in custody in Texas for active drug warrants and is being held on an ICE hold.
"Our main goal is to find them safely and bring them back home," Burch said.
"We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent," said District Attorney Keith Blackwood.
The arrests were made possible through investigative techniques and cooperation with federal and state authorities, Burch said. Surveillance cameras from the surrounding areas helped detectives track down the suspects.
Other search warrants are currently underway, including a black van that was at the scene the morning of the kidnappings.
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