I spoke to Detective Ortega today and his supervisor at the Olympic police station. They were both forthcoming with details about this case. They said they have been speaking to both the wife of the man who took Michelle and also to Michelle’s mother. The gist: they believe that Michelle went voluntarily to Guatemala with the man because her mother had discovered they were having a clandestine relationship and Michelle’s mother was very angry with her about it. (Michelle’s family does not believe that she was having a romantic relationship with the man.)
It if fairly certain Michelle is in Guatemala. The man’s older son who lives there called his mother and reported that his father was there with a young girl fitting the description of Michelle and the father told the son that he was going to, “Start a new life with her.” All of the man’s family in Guatemala is angry with him over this action, as is his wife in the U.S.
Michelle’s family heard from her after ten days because the man’s wife insisted that he allow Michelle to call her mother. Apparently, the wife here in the U.S. is in contact with the man there via telephone. During the conversation, Michelle asked her mother to drop the Missing Person’s charge with the police. She was crying copiously and repeating over and over, “I’m sorry.” Michelle’s family does not believe the charge should be dropped since an adult man took a fifteen-year-old out of the country.
The detective reported that Michelle’s mother received one more text from the man saying that they had run away because “Michelle was pregnant.” This has not been verified.
Michelle has lived in the U.S. since she was four. She is in a remote part of Guatemala (according to her family) where the Indians there “will hurt you if you are not one of them.” She is sitting in a house all day while the man is gone and he comes in the evening to take her “home.”
The detective said it was going to be very difficult to bring this girl back to the U.S. since she is a Guatemalan citizen. He also said that the FBI here has said they do not see grounds to get involved and he is doubtful the DA’s office will want to pursue this since the detective believes the only charge will be one called “Child Annoying.” (I presume this is because they can’t prove there was romance involved and because Michelle appears to have gone willingly.) As for the man, the detective said that Guatemala is not known for sending its citizens back to the United States to face criminal charges. He said there was a remote chance of a Humanitarian Visa for Michelle, but it was unlikely and she would have to want to return.
The detective said he thought the man had “brainwashed” Michelle. He said he is deeply concerned about her, but that this case is very difficult because it is across international borders. His supervisor said to me, “I’m not sure we’re going to be able to bring Michelle home.”
I don’t quite know what to think. The LAPD was much more open than I expected after my encounter with the desk clerk the day before. I reported his rudeness and insensitivity to the detective supervisor and she apologized and assured me that she would speak with him immediately. She said his behavior was completely unacceptable.
So, I am at a loss. The man has clearly taken a fifteen-year-old out of the country. He appears to have some feelings for her, though Michelle’s family said that if he truly cared for her he would have come to them and explained what was happening. He would have never taken her to a place where she knows no one, is dependent on this man and his goodwill, and is now out of school and out of the country that she knows as home. Now, it’s going to be difficult for her to return to this country because she is undocumented.
Michelle’s family thanked me for my help. I said that I hadn’t really accomplished anything so I don’t know how that can be called help. “Still, we thank you,” Elda’s daughter, Melissa said. “At least you understand what we are facing here.”
That may be all I can do, commiserate with the family.
That hardly seems good enough.
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