LEAH MARIE AGUIRRE (deceased) - 2 yo/ Accused: Caregiver; Matilda Almaraz - Crosbyton (E of Lubbock) TX

AMBER ALERT: Two-year-old girl missing from Crosbyton

Published: 2:58 pm
Updated: 3:15 pm

The Department of Public Safety has issued an Amber Alert for two-year-old Leah Marie Aguirre.

She was last seen in Crosbyton on January 3rd around noon. Leah is Hispanic, with brown hair and brown eyes. She's 2'5" and weighs approximately 30 pounds.

She may be with a suspect identified as "Miguel", with brown eyes and brown hair. He may be driving a Ford Focus.

If you know anything about the location of the child, contact the Crosbyton Police Department at the number below.

24 Hr. Phone # : (806) 368-1926
Alternate Phone # : (806) 368-1926


A picture of the missing child will be available shortly. Check back with myfoxlubbock.com for the latest information.

http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/amber-alert-leah-marie-aguirre-crosbyton/0pMWdLPp002EWwzrHHooZg.cspx

An Amber Alert has been issued for an infant abducted from a home in Crosbyton.

The little girl's name is LEAH MARIE AGUIRRE, and just turned two years old on January 8th. She is hispanic with black hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen with a man identified only as MIGUEL. And the two were last seen in a RED FORD FOCUS.

The little girl has been missing since January 3rd. Early reports are that the man named Miguel entered the Crosbyton home claiming to be a case worker from Child Protective Services. He then removed the child from the home. CPS Public Information Officer Paul Zimmerman confirms that this man, Miguel was not a CPS employee.

Crosby County Sheriff's deputies confirm they are investigating whether or not the child's mother had been trying to sell the baby to someone in Mexico.

If you have any information, call Crosbyton Police at 675-7301.

http://texomashomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=234372

Leah Aguirre found dead behind caregiver's house

Posted: Jan 10, 2013 3:45 PM CST
Updated: Jan 10, 2013 4:59 PM CST
By KCBD Staff - email

CROSBYTON, TX (KCBD) - The FBI has found the dead body of missing 2-year-old Leah Marie Aguirre behind a home at 502 S. Ayrshire in Crosbyton, according to Crosbyton Police Chief Greg Parrot.

The homeowner is Matilda Almaraz who was Leah's caregiver at the time of her disappearance. At this time, no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made.

Tina Aguirre, the child's mother, was being investigated by CPS prior to her daughter's disappearance. The Crosby County Sheriff's Office was also investigating reports that Tina was trying to sell her daughter Leah for $2000 to someone in Mexico. Tina denied these allegations.

Authorities say they were told a man named Miguel posed as CPS worker and took the child from Almaraz's home.

News of her disappearance sparked a statewide Amber Alert and an investigation by the FBI, the Texas Rangers and local law enforcement.

Hundreds of calls have come in from across the country with tips about the case.

The Amber Alert for Leah Marie Aguirre was canceled shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday.

http://www.kcbd.com/story/20557035/leah-aguirre-found-dead-behind-caregivers-house

Leah Aguirre found dead in caregiver's basement

Posted: Jan 10, 2013 3:45 PM CST
Updated: Jan 10, 2013 11:12 PM CST
By Tiffany Pelt

CROSBYTON, TX (KCBD) - The FBI has found the dead body of missing 2-year-old Leah Marie Aguirre in the basement of a home at 502 S. Ayrshire in Crosbyton, according to Crosbyton Police Chief Greg Parrott. Parrott claims Leah's body was found in a box in the basement wrapped in plastic and intentionally hidden.

The homeowner is Matilda Almaraz who was Leah's temporary caregiver at the time of her disappearance. Parrott says after questioning her all day, they arrested her about 5p.m. and charged her with capital murder.

Leah's mother Tina Aguirre had given temporary custody of her daughter to Almaraz back in September while she took care of a sick aunt. Tina only knew Almaraz through a friend on Facebook, and says she rarely saw Leah after that. She says the last time she was able to get a hold of Almaraz was on Christmas Eve.

Weeks later, Almaraz told police that a man going by the name Miguel posed as a CPS worker and took Leah back on January 3rd. She didn't report Leah missing until days later on January 8th.

Chief Parrott says when the investigation started they searched Almaraz's home, but found nothing out of the ordinary. An immediate Amber Alert was sent out with the information about the man Almaraz says took Leah.

However on Thursday FBI agents brought Almaraz in for more questioning which led them to a second search of her home.

"Through some statements made by her in the interview there appeared to be great concern for a particular area in the house so the FBI agents focused their efforts there," Parrott said. "You really had to have been there to understand and grasp how well concealed her little remains were; they were behind a shelf, in the basement, in a box under clothing, wrapped in plastic bags. The person who concealed her went through great lengths to do so."

Parrott says they will have to wait for an autopsy to determine how long her body had been hidden and her cause of death.

"We were all hoping and praying for a different ending. Although we've lost this baby we still owe this child and the child's family a professional investigation so that justice can now be sought for those responsible for her demise," Parrott said.

Parrott says they do not know if there is any truth in Almaraz's story about the man posing as a CPS worker. He also says they are continuing to question people at this time and it's unsure if there will be any additional arrests.

http://www.kltv.com/story/20557035/leah-aguirre-found-dead-in-caregivers-basement

this is why little kids are killed or like in the other story, ppl just leave their kids with just anybody. they're moved from place to place from person to person-they have NO family that cares about them/ im so upset, im not sure my words will make any sense.

I would never have abandoned my babies at this age.

Something is fishy here.

Family anticipates autopsy will identify missing Crosbyton girl

Posted: January 11, 2013 - 10:45am
By ADAM D. YOUNG, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

An autopsy was conducted Friday on the body of a small child investigators discovered Thursday in a Crosbyton basement while searching for a missing Crosbyton girl, but no results were announced.

Family members Friday afternoon say they anticipate investigators will tell them the body is 2-year-old Leah Marie Aguirre, who was last seen Jan. 3, and who was reported missing Tuesday.

“We don’t have funeral plans worked out, but we’re trying to figure that out,” said Joann Villa, Aguirre’s aunt. “Her mother’s been real disappointed, real upset. She can’t believe what’s happening.”

Crosbyton Police Chief Greg Parrott remained careful Friday morning not to identify the body.

“As of right now, we have a presumptive identification that this is going to be our missing child, pending an autopsy,” Parrott said.

Law enforcement called off the Amber Alert for Aguirre after the body of a small female child was found inside a box and under bags in the basement of Matilda Almaraz’s Crosbyton home, and Almaraz was charged with capital murder.

Almaraz remained in the Garza County Jail Friday morning on $1 million bail.

Almaraz was a friend of the child’s mother, Tina Marie Aguirre-Davis, and had been taking care of the toddler, Parrott said.

Villa described Almaraz as a friend of one of Tina Marie’s friends, who the mother had met in person but most recently communicated with on Facebook.

Neither Villa or Connie Aguirre, Leah’s grandmother, said they knew how the 2-year-old came to be with Almaraz or for how long.

During a Thursday afternoon news conference, Parrott said police executed a search warrant at Almaraz’s home in the 500 block of Ayrshire Street because of to some statements made by Almaraz and her “great concern” for a certain area in the basement.

He briefly commented on the scene investigators found inside the house.

“She was intentionally concealed,” the chief said of the child found. “You really had to have been there to see how well concealed she was.”

Parrott said the investigation is ongoing and other arrests are possible.

The initial story given to law enforcement was that a Child Protective Services worker named “Miguel” had taken the child into state custody.

On Monday, the toddler’s caretakers allegedly called CPS to inform workers of an appointment for Leah with a speech therapist. CPS stated it did not have the child in its custody.

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2013-01-11/autopsy-results-body-found-crosbyton-could-come-today

Mother of missing 2-year-old says she's innocent

Posted: Jan 09, 2013 3:22 PM CST
Updated: Jan 09, 2013 11:06 PM CST
By Alex Zielinski

VIDEO

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - The mother of missing 2-year-old Leah Aguirre spoke with KCBD Wednesday after being questioned by police in her daughter's disappearance.

22-year-old Tina Aguirre said it has been a crazy 24 hours after her landlord called her and said her daughter Leah was missing. She was questioned by the Slaton Police Department, F.B.I and Crosbyton Police Department for around 7 hours last night as they tried to figure out what happened to Leah.

"It was very scary. They were saying that I was going to be accused if something happened to my daughter," said Tina. "I was going to go to jail for a long time and never come back out probably. I would not see my mom or my brothers ever again."

Tina says back in September she was taking care of a sick aunt and needed help with Leah. She then let a friend in Crosbyton that she met over Facebook take Leah to temporarily care for the child while she lived with her sick aunt. It's with that friend that Leah went missing several days ago when a man named Miguel posed as a CPS worker saying he needed to take her.

The Crosby County Sheriff's office told us yesterday they were looking into reports that Tina tried to sell her daughter to someone in Mexico for $2,000.00 but she says that is 100 percent false.

"It's not true and it makes me really angry to think about people saying that I tried to sell my own daughter," she said.

While police have no solid leads, Tina believes her cousin has something to do with Leah's disappearance. "She would tell me that she was going to come and steal her away from me, and that I would never get to see her again for the rest of my life. She has a boyfriend in Mexico who she goes to see but his name is Miguel," Tina said.

When we asked investigators about the cousin, they said she has been questioned along with one of her friends named Miguel. However, they say Tina's story didn't add up.

While tips are coming in nationwide, Tina hopes someone will help bring her baby home, and says the first thing she would do is hug Leah and never let her go.

"She was happy all the time, she always liked playing with her dolls, her toys and she loved playing with me all the time," she said.

The FBI Dallas Division has confirmed that it is working with the Crosbyton Police Department and Texas Rangers to locate Leah Marie Aguirre. The public is asked to contact the FBI at 972-559-5000 or at tips.fbi.gov with any information that can help locate Leah.

http://www.kcbd.com/story/20546164/mother-of-missing-2-year-old-says-shes-innocent

KCBD INVESTIGATES: Cracks in the Amber Alert System?


Posted: Mar 05, 2013 9:51 PM EST
Updated: Mar 05, 2013 10:59 PM EST

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -

After the death of Leah Marie Aguirre, 2, many have raised questions as to why the initial Amber Alert failed in aiding her
recovery.

Aguirre was found dead in her caregiver's basement in January.

Maltida Almaraz, the woman Leah's mother entrusted with her daughter is now being charged with capital murder.

KCBD NewsChannel 11 went looking for answers, trying to discover any cracks in the Amber Alert system.

According to DPS Corporal John Gonzalez, since 2002, 93 children have been recovered from 87 different abductions in the state of Texas.

Corporal Gonzalez said when used properly, the system is effective.

However, in the case of Aguirre, it was the false information provided
that hampered rescue efforts.

On January 8, 2012, an Amber Alert was issued for Aguirre, claiming she was abducted by a man who posed as a CPS worker named "Miguel" who drove a red Ford Focus. That same afternoon, the Crosby County Sheriff's Department discovered that Leah had actually gone missing on January 3rd, five days before the alert was issued.

According Gonzalez, this fact alone makes Aguirre's case not applicable to the required criteria for an Amber Alert.

"If a child has been abducted 4 or 5 days ago is it going to be effective? Probably not," said Gonzalez. "Are we going to get the
information out? Absolutely. Are we going to be looking? Absolutely. The unfortunate thing is if the crime already occurred 4 or 5 days ago, how far have they gotten? They could already be in Mexico."

According to Crosbyton Police Chief Greg Parrott, they were never even able to establish if "Miguel" existed. CPS officials confirmed they did not have an employee matching his description.

The KCBD newsroom received several calls from various law enforcement agencies that afternoon, asking us for the latest updates. We wanted to know just how that kind of communication could fail to reach the proper authorities.

"It can absolutely. Unfortunately, it's through human error that some of this stuff is entered," said Gonzalez. "In some of these
geographical areas in the Caprock, sometimes the radios don't even work."

The system was put in place after Amber Hagerman's 1996 abduction and murder.

The Amber Alert System became available as a resource for officers in 2002. However, now with the power of social media, Gonzalez said the system is even more successful.

"We're able to get information out to a lot of people in a short amount of time," said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez recommends that parents keep an updated identity packet on hand at all times. He said at the time when an Amber Alert is issued, having your child's information collected to hand off to authorities is the best way to ensure your child's recovery.

If you would like more information about how to sign up for Amber Alerts, log on to http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/AmberAlert/AmberRegister.aspx.