HOUSTON – The family of 40-year-old Erica Hernandez, a mother of three who has been missing since April 18, was joined by local leaders and law enforcement to discuss the search for Hernandez Monday afternoon.
Family members of Hernandez were at the Mickey Leland Federal Building located at 1919 Smith Street at 3:30 p.m. Friday to ask Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee for help in locating her.
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Lee, the Houston Police Department announced that they have brought in the FBI to help expand the search for Hernandez.
“We are looking for Erica Hernandez and we will not give up,” Lee said. “The community is looking for Erica Hernandez.”
Investigators said Hernandez was last seen near Highway 288 and the Beltway driving a black GMC Acadia. It has a Texas license plate MKJ-3303.
Hernandez’s family believes something may have happened to her because she is not likely to have left her 19-year-old daughter without a vehicle to take to work.
According to Hernandez’s family, she and her mother were making food all day the day of her disappearance. When Hernandez invited friends and family over to eat, most of them couldn’t make it. Her family said Hernandez didn’t want to waste the food, so she decided to deliver it to them.
Eliva said possibly around 9:30 p.m., Hernandez went back out to her best friend Maggie’s house to deliver more food. Eliva said Hernandez was there until about 2:30 a.m.
“Maggie was texting Erica during her drive home to make sure she made it home safe,” Eliva said. “At 3:04 a.m., Maggie texted Erica asking if she made it home yet. Erica replied that she was five mins away.”
Eliva said Maggie then asked again once five minutes passed, but didn’t get a response. No one has heard from Erica since.
READ: Video shows missing mother of 3 outside sister-in-law’s house night before disappearance
“We need help right now. This is going on five days and the family is terrified. Her phone is off, and her car has not been found. Please, speak with the family and aid us in finding her,” Balderas said. “This is the anniversary of Vanessa Guillen’s disappearance. It took 69 days before her body was found. We must find Erica now while she may still be alive.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston Police Department at (832) 394-1840 or call Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.