Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos

Leticia Barrales Ramos



Ramos, date, approximate 2009; Felipe Cruz Hernandez
Date Missing 04/12/2009
Missing From
Winters, California
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
Hispanic
Date of Birth 10/02/1980 (42)
Age 28 years old
Height and Weight 5'6, 250 pounds
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Hispanic female. Black hair, brown eyes. Ramos is a Mexican citizen.
Details of Disappearance Ramos was last seen in Winters, California during the early morning hours of April 12, 2009. Neighbors heard the sounds of an argument coming from her residence, then a car door slammed. She has never been heard from again. Her husband, Felipe Cruz Hernandez, claimed at first that Ramos had had to go to Mexico for a family emergency.
Some of her relatives received phone calls from someone claiming to be Ramos, who said she was at the border and having difficulties with the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. However, investigators could find no evidence that Ramos actually had contact with border authorities.
She also left behind her purse, passport, Mexican voter registration card, Mexican Consulate card, driver's license, credit card and over $1,000 in cash, and she would have needed those items if she were traveling out of the country. She was reported missing by her employer at Lester Farms Bakery in Dixon, California.
In May 2009, police arrested Hernandez and charged him with first-degree murder in his wife's disappearance. Authorities stated Hernandez was the last person to see Ramos, and he had a motive to kill her because they were in the process of a divorce and custody battle over their young daughter.
Hernandez allegedly followed Ramos in a borrowed vehicle, confronted her and her boyfriend, and borrowed a gun from his brother before Ramos disappeared. Investigators believe she was killed inside the family's apartment while the couple's daughter slept in the next room.
Blood was found in the residence on the furniture and on large areas of the carpet. Someone had made an attempt to clean up by steam-cleaning the carpet and rearranging the furniture to cover some of the stains.
A photo of Hernandez is posted with this summary. He was convicted of second-degree murder in December 2009 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison the following month.
Ramos is described as a devoted mother and a responsible worker who held two jobs when she disappeared. Foul play is suspected in her due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
Winters Police Department
530-795-4561
Other
California Attorney General's Office
KCRA Sacramento
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Vacaville Reporter
CBS 13
The Woodland Daily Democrat
News 10
The Woodland Record
The Sacramento Bee

Missing Person Photos

A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Case Updates with Photos