Missing Dallas teen found in Kansas
Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:42 am
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police say a Dallas teenager who was the subject of a statewide Amber Alert was found Monday morning in Wichita, Kan. The Kansas Highway Patrol said Ericka Cordova was with Gustavo Marquez, a Colorado teen who allegedly abducted her Sunday night.
Both Cordova and Marquez were said to be safe, but no further details of the 8 a.m. incident were immediately available.
Dallas police Lt. Sally Lannom said investigators believe Cordova, 15, was forced into a vehicle by Marquez, who came to Dallas from Colorado. Police said he told his family he was going get the girl and bring her back to Colorado.
Lannom said police were working with authorities in Colorado, where the two were thought to have been headed.
"They have not lived together," Lannom said. "Apparently they just met one to two months ago at a friend's wedding."
A witness said Marquez arrived at the girl's apartment late Sunday. After a brief conversation in the parking lot, he forced her into his truck and drove away, according to the witness.
"Her younger sister got scared and immediately went inside the apartment to get her family, get her mom to come back out," Lannom said.
Ericka, who is 5-foot-4 and 115 pounds, has long brown hair with red highlights. She was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a gray T-shirt.
Police said Marquez is 16 or 17, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. He has short, dark brown hair and a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black and yellow checked shirt, blue jeans and a light blue ball cap.
The teens were last seen driving a dark maroon GMC Yukon pickup truck with a red scorpion sticker on the rear window and oversized 20-inch rims.
Police said Marquez was briefly detained in Colorado on his way to Texas and used a false identity at that time.
Both families are cooperating with authorities, Lannom said.
Anyone with information about the case should call Dallas police at (214) 670-4268.
DALLAS, Texas - Police say a Dallas teenager who was the subject of a statewide Amber Alert was found Monday morning in Wichita, Kan. The Kansas Highway Patrol said Ericka Cordova was with Gustavo Marquez, a Colorado teen who allegedly abducted her Sunday night.
Both Cordova and Marquez were said to be safe, but no further details of the 8 a.m. incident were immediately available.
Dallas police Lt. Sally Lannom said investigators believe Cordova, 15, was forced into a vehicle by Marquez, who came to Dallas from Colorado. Police said he told his family he was going get the girl and bring her back to Colorado.
Lannom said police were working with authorities in Colorado, where the two were thought to have been headed.
"They have not lived together," Lannom said. "Apparently they just met one to two months ago at a friend's wedding."
A witness said Marquez arrived at the girl's apartment late Sunday. After a brief conversation in the parking lot, he forced her into his truck and drove away, according to the witness.
"Her younger sister got scared and immediately went inside the apartment to get her family, get her mom to come back out," Lannom said.
Ericka, who is 5-foot-4 and 115 pounds, has long brown hair with red highlights. She was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a gray T-shirt.
Police said Marquez is 16 or 17, 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. He has short, dark brown hair and a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black and yellow checked shirt, blue jeans and a light blue ball cap.
The teens were last seen driving a dark maroon GMC Yukon pickup truck with a red scorpion sticker on the rear window and oversized 20-inch rims.
Police said Marquez was briefly detained in Colorado on his way to Texas and used a false identity at that time.
Both families are cooperating with authorities, Lannom said.
Anyone with information about the case should call Dallas police at (214) 670-4268.