An Amber Alert was issued Thursday for a missing 13-year-old girl in Texas, with officials warning that she could be in "grave" danger.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children issued the alert for Esmeralda Mireles on behalf of the Weslaco Police Department.
The Context
The Amber Alert said Mireles was last seen Thursday at around 3 a.m. local time near the 100 block of North Kansas Avenue in Weslaco.
"Esmeralda suffers from medical conditions and was last seen wearing a black hoodie with blue jeans," the Weslaco Police Department wrote in a post on Facebook. "She is described to be 5'6'', 145 lbs. and has orange/reddish mullet style hair."
The Amber Alert said: "Law enforcement officials believe this child to be in grave or immediate danger."
Newsweek reached out to the Weslaco Police Department via email for further information on Mireles' disappearance.
What We Know
The Amber Alert said Luis Gomez, 37, is listed as Mireles' "associated companion," and police are actively searching for him while trying to find the missing 13-year-old.
Gomez is described in the Amber Alert as a white male who is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds. He is believed to have black hair and brown eyes.
The Amber Alert said Gomez was last seen Thursday in the area where Mireles was around the time of her disappearance.
"The suspect is driving a maroon, 2001, Chevrolet Silverado bearing TX license plate number GCW9494," according to the alert.
"This is a local Amber Alert originating from Weslaco, TX," the alert said. "This Amber Alert has been activated in the following Texas Counties: Hildago, Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Hogg, Starr, Zapata, Kleberg, Nueces, Jim Wells, Duval, Webb."
Anyone with information related to Mireles' disappearance is urged to contact the Weslaco Police Department. Those with any information related to Gomez and his current whereabouts should contact the police department immediately.
"If you have information and would like to remain anonymous, you can submit a tip to Weslaco Crime Stoppers at 956-968-TIPS (8477) or submit your tip using the P3 phone application. Tips may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000," the Weslaco Police Department wrote its Facebook post.
Earlier this week, a similar Amber Alert was issued for 12-year-old E'minie Hughes of Houston after she disappeared in the middle of the night on February 22.
The Texas Center for the Missing shared the Amber Alert on behalf of the Houston Police Department and said she was last seen entering a four-door pickup truck outside of her home at around 1:40 a.m. local time.
Update 3/1/24, 10:11 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with further information and background.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
