North Carolina authorities announced Thursday that they found the green SUV used to abduct a Lumberton girl from her own driveway on Monday.
News & Observer reports a green Ford Expedition was located around nine miles from the home of 13-year-old Hania Aguilar. The teen walked outside Monday morning and started the SUV up, when an unknown man wearing all black clothing and a yellow bandana over his face approached her and forced her into the vehicle before driving it away.
Police found the vehicle off of Quincey Drive in Lumberton. The FBI’s evidence response team is processing the vehicle for evidence. Hania was not in the vehicle and remains missing.
Authorities located the SUV a day after they asked the public in the surrounding areas to check their surveillance footage. At least one person caught the SUV on surveillance just minutes after the vehicle the girl’s home.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Hania disappeared early Monday morning when unidentified man grabbed the teen from her own driveway at the Rosewood Mobile Home Park just before 7 a.m., while she was starting up her aunt’s SUV. Police said the abduction occurred between lots 38 and 39 at the mobile home park.
Previous reports indicated that Hania planned to walk to a school bus stop after starting her aunt’s vehicle, but CBS9 reports that the teen’s aunt planned to give her a ride to school and Hania wanted to start up the vehicle and have it ready for her aunt once she walked outside.
“Investigators are interviewing witnesses family and friends as well as conducting a door to door canvas in the neighborhood and checking any surveillance to find out any information we can,” Lumberton Police Chief Mike McNeil said earlier this week.
North Carolina State Highway Patrol were managing road blocks Tuesday morning, where they’re showing drivers a photo of Hania. Some of the drivers were asked to pull aside and speak to detectives.
The victim’s sister, Heylin Perez, said the family asked the girl to wait for them before going outside, but Hania went outside anyway and started up the vehicle, according to WRAL. Heylin said they heard Hania scream out but the family couldn’t get to her in time.
“She just got the keys and started to turn it on. And somewhere out of nowhere the man came in and took her away.”
McNeil said he’s not sure at this point if the suspect has any weapons on him.
“All we know is that she was forced into the vehicle. Right now all we want is to get this young girl back to her family.”
Hania is a student at Lumberton Junior High School. School officials have made counselors and social workers available to friends and peers, according to Public Schools of Robeson County spokesperson, Tasha Oxendine.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reports that Hania is described as a Hispanic female with black hair and brown eyes. She stand 5-feet tall and weighs around 126 pounds. She was last seen wearing a blue shirt with flower prints and blue jeans.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact the special tip line set up solely for Hania, at 910-272-5871. The FBI is offering a $15,000 reward to whoever provides information that leads to the missing girl’s whereabouts.
Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Hania Aguilar/Handout]
