Authorities in north Georgia are looking for a 12-year-old girl who disappeared from her Gainesville home last week.
Maria Gomez-Perez is described as 5 feet 3 inches tall about 100 to 110 pounds with long black hair and brown eyes, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. She was last seen at her home at about 10 a.m. on May 29.
The sheriff’s office put out its third statement about the case on Monday after local television stations aired questions from community members about the investigation.
Investigators said over the weekend, in their second release about the disappearance, that they had “no indication of abduction or foul play at this time.”
“There is no evidence indicating Maria was taken against her will,” the statement said.
In Monday’s statement, the sheriff’s office said that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation had denied their request for a Levi’s Call, Georgia’s version of an Amber Alert, because it failed to meet three out of five requirements for one.
The office further said they’d received three tips from the public, but none of the three resulted in information leading the missing girl. Investigators encouraged those with information to use official channels to submit information, saying that “social media is not the most reliable way to communicate with our investigators.”
They said anonymous tips can be submitted to 770-503-3232, and email tips can be sent to intelrequest@hallcounty.org. Calling 911 or 770-536-8812 are non-anonymous methods of reaching investigators.
Vanesa Sarazua, executive director of Hispanic Alliance, told the Gainesville Times that community members held a vigil at Iglesia Bethel near the girl’s home and said there is a general feeling that not enough is being done to find Maria.
“We’ve encouraged people to go ahead and offer whatever information they may have without fear of repercussions or legal status, but there’s not a lot of tips coming in,” she said.
The sheriff’s office said it has a team of investigators working diligently on the case.
“Our goal is to bring Maria home and ensure she is safe,” they said. “We know the community wants that too.”
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[Featured image: Maria Gomez-Perez/Hall County Sheriff’s Office]
