Missing Girl: Monica Carrasco -- TX -- 10/01/2003

[Dan]

Originally posted on 02/22/07
by Dan



Additional picture from America's Most Wanted at amw.com | America's Most Wanted with John Walsh

[lizziebeth]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/carrasco_monica.html
Monica Cassandra Carrasco




Top Two Rows and Bottom Left and Center: Carrasco, circa 2003;
Bottom Right: Age-progression to age 19 (circa 2005)
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Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: October 1, 2003 from Balmorhea, Texas
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date of Birth: December 13, 1986
Age: 16 years old
Height and Weight: 5'5, 100 - 111 pounds

Distinguishing Characteristics: Hispanic female. Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes. Carrasco had red streaks in her hair when she was last seen. She has pierced ears, a chicken pox scar on her forehead near her hairline, a small light-colored mole on her left cheek, and dimples in both cheeks.

Clothing/Jewelry Description: A long beige or white nightgown and no shoes.

Medical Conditions: Carrasco is supposed to be taking anti-depressant medication which she does not have with her. She also suffers from anorexia and low blood sugar, and she was on a strict diet in October 2003. Carrasco was under a doctor's care at the time of her disappearance and may be in need of medical attention.


Details of Disappearance
Carrasco was last seen at her aunt and uncle's home four miles east of Balmorhea, Texas late in the evening of October 1, 2003. She is believed to have left the residence sometime between 11:00 p.m. on October 1 and 7:30 the next morning. She may have been carrying her large white or black Bible with her. Extensive searches of the rural, rugged area around Carrasco's aunt and uncle's home have yielded no clues as to her whereabouts. Carrasco may have left the Balmorhea area to meet someone, possibly an individual she contacted through the Internet. Her aunt and uncle believe she may have become disoriented from her medications, left the house, and gotten a ride with a passing motorist, possibly on Highway 17 which runs near their home.

A bus driver allegedly harassed Carrasco in May 2003, five months before her disappearance. She did not report the incident to any official authority, but was so shaken by it that she refused to take the bus to school after that.
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The bus driver was interviewed and has been ruled out as a suspect in her disappearance, but Carrasco's uncle failed a lie detector test in relation to her case.

While Carrasco apparently left the house of her own accord, police believe she may be in danger. She became depressed following her father's death from bone cancer in 2000 and was hospitalized for the depression and anorexia nervosa after losing over fifty pounds. After she was released from the hospital, she decided to live with her aunt and uncle because she was angry with her mother. Carrasco's mother says their relationship problems were not serious, however, and she does not believe her daughter ran away.

Carrasco was a junior at Alpine High School at the time of her disappearance and is described as a very religious person. Her case remains unsolved.

[Kathylene]

Yesterday was Monica's 4 year missing date, Please pray for this family and for Monica's safe return.

Thank you.

Kelly

[Kelly]

Message from the Family:

"Today is Monica's birthday, she will be 21 years old. We love and miss her sooo much and wish the family could be reunited. We pray that God will keep her safe and give her the opportunity to call or write .

If anyone has any information concerning Monica's disappearance please find it in your heart do the right thing and call 1-800-the-lost(1-800-843-5678) or the Reeves County Sheriff's dept 432-445-4901."

[Linda]

http://www.crimelibrary.com/missing_children/monica_carrasco.html

Monica Carrasco

Monica Cassandra Carrasco had been staying with her aunt and uncle, Velma and Bela Baeza, at their Balmorhea, Texas home. It had not been long since the 16-year-old left a local hospital for bouts of depression and anorexia. Family members believe that the child's conditions were brought about from the death of Monica's father, Ramon. He had suffered a heart attack amidst a long battle with bone cancer.

On the evening of October 1, 2003, the Baezas and Monica retired to bed. Sometime between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning, Monica quietly left their house. When Velma and Bela noticed their niece was gone, they immediately contacted local law enforcement authorities. Deputies from the Reeves County Sheriff's Department arrived and questioned the worried couple. They were told that Monica was last seen wearing a beige nightgown. She was also barefoot and carrying a bible.

A county-wide search for the missing child was quickly launched by the Sheriff's Department and the U.S. Border Patrol. Trackers on foot with search dogs, airplanes, helicopters and more than 600 local residents participated in the search for Monica. "We got a few tips, but nothing really solid," said Reeves County Sheriff Arnulfo Gomez. He continued on about the searches made in the area. "We have looked everywhere, dragged Lake Balmorhea, drained all the irrigation ditches leading into it and looked in caves and on mountains. That's rough terrain. If you're barefoot you are not going to make it anywhere around that area."

One of Monica's uncles, a Reeves County Justice of the Peace, believes Monica was disoriented from her medications and might have strolled out onto nearby Highway 17 that morning, and been given a ride by some passing motorist. "She's not anywhere around here," said Judge Rosendo Carrasco. "It's a small town. If one of her friends had her at a house, we would have already found out."

"We don't really have an actual theory as to what might have happened," said Reeves County Sheriff's Sergeant Danny Leos. "We didn't find any hard clues where we could say, 'Yeah, that's what happened.' Right now we're just hoping she'll pop upsomewhere."

Monica Cassandra Carrasco has a deep pox mark on her forehead next to her hairline, a small mole on her left cheek, and very deep dimples. She is light complexioned with red streaks in her shoulder-length, dark brown hair.

Law enforcement authorities are still looking for Monica Carrasco. The search has become a national search, with the involvement of national media communication concerns.  A $10,000 Cash Reward is being offered for any information leading to her safe recovery. Anyone with information should please contact the Reeves County Sheriff's Department (432-445-4901) or the Polly Klaas Foundation (800-587-4357).

[Linda]

Monica  Carrasco My Space page

http://www.myspace.com/missing_monica_carrasco 

[Linda]

Please Print and Place Monicas's 18 Wheel Angel Poster

http://www.missingmonica.com/18WheelAngel.pdf

[LoriDavis]

Monica has been missing 5 years today.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

Lori


Print a Poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_MonicaCarrasco.pdf

[LoriDavis]

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/nov/01/squeaky-wheel-tour-coming-poor-davids-pub-profile-/

Squeaky Wheel Tour coming to Poor David’s Pub to profile missing Texans
By Pegasus News wire
Saturday, November 1, 2008

GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation presents the 3rd International Squeaky Wheel Tour® (SWT), launching October 17, 2008.  The acclaimed 19-day event draws attention to several hundred missing people, each profiled by the musicians participating throughout the US and other countries, and is supported by the families of the missing and nonprofit organizations worldwide.

Clementine, one of the bands performing at Poor David's Pub on November 7.

Musicians participating in SWT earmark their concerts or events to profile a missing person(s) in their community.  They profile that missing person during their show and ask attendees to take a flyer to post throughout their community. Audience members become official GINA Volunteers simply by coming to the events and posting flyers.

This year's tour has reached across international boundaries that take us from England in 1996 to Dallas 2008. Damien Nettles disappeared from Cowes, Isle of Wight, England November 2, 1996. He is both an American and British citizen. His immediate family now lives in Dallas and continues to search for Damien whenever and however possible. Damien's family recently connected with GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation when GINA was preparing a Squeaky Wheel Tour® web cast profiling UK missing persons to air November 2, 2008 at 2:30 CST www.411Gina.org . The Internet has become a valuable tool to help bridge the gap for families to get information out world-wide about their missing loved ones.

Clementine Band / Mark Wayne Glasmire
When: Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, 8 p.m.
Where: Poor David's Pub, 1313 South Lamar Street, Dallas
Cost: $15
Age limit: 21+

Texas area missing to be profiled are Roxanne Paultauf-Austin, Kimberly Norwood-Longview, Sara Kinslow-Greenville, Troy Grumbine-Irving, Melissa Highsmith-Fort Worth, Brandi Wells-Longview, and Monica Carrasco-Balmorhea.

Jannel Rap, founder of SWT, has intimate knowledge of the missing.  Her sister, musician Gina Bos, disappeared on October 17, 2000.  Because there was no lurid or dramatic circumstance, Gina's case didn't achieve great media attention and was soon forgotten by the community.  In honor of Gina, and knowing how scattered, broken and lost the families of the missing felt, Jannel knew she had to do something. The concept of the Squeaky Wheel Tour® was born.  A musician herself, Jannel used the power of music (and her band, Clementine) to start being the "squeaky wheel" that demands attention.

Mark Wayne Glasmire joins Clementine on stage to play music and profile missing people.
Jannel's LA based band, Clementine is a merging of singer/songwriters on a mission to help educate the public about missing persons cases. Clementine is most known for their musical and lyrical hooks and their unique vocal sound reminiscent of the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Clementine has shared the stage with Hal Ketchum, Louden Wainwright, Nickel Creek and more.

Mark Wayne Glasmire is joining Clementine at Poor David's. He was a top 10 finalist in the GINA Singer/songwriter Contest of 2008 consequently joining in the family of International GINA Artists. He is a seasoned singer/songwriter with melodies and lyrics that hook you in and make you feel at home while challenging your senses.

850,000 missing persons reports are made each year in the U.S. 110,000 of those cases go unsolved.  To date, over 300 missing people profiled by GINA for Missing Persons FOUNDation and SWT have been found.

[Jenn]

Website for Monica: http://www.missingmonica.com/

[Kelly]

Project Jason announces the featured missing persons in the July 2009 issue of the CDLJobs.com Online Magazine, which can be viewed at http://www.cdljobs.com/cdljobsonlinemagazine/JULY09.htm  This month's ad is on page 10. The site receives thousands of visitors per day.

Each month, CDLJobs.com publishes a full color ad in their popular online magazine which will feature 5-6 of Project Jason's missing person cases from across the country. The ad has clickable links which take the reader to additional information about the missing person, and a link to their printable poster.  Readers are encouraged to sign up for the AAN program and help with poster distribution. "You can be a Hero" is the theme of the joint venture.

Awareness Angels Network (AAN). AAN, begun by Project Jason in 2008, provides a way for the public to assist the families of missing persons. Missing persons posters designed specifically for the AAN program are disseminated via email to those enrolled in the program. Participants can then upload the posters to websites, print and place the posters in public areas, and forward them to their contacts. The program helps spread the word and increase the chances of finding the person.

In the July issue, the following missing persons were featured:

Brian Barton, missing from Federal Way, WA since 3/10/2005:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=492.0

Monica Carrasco, missing from Balmorhea, TX since 10/1/2003:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=778.0

Angela Finger, missing from Las Vegas, NV since 6/25/2006:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=3726.0

Emillie Hoyt, missing from Highland Beach, FL since 1/2006:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=3842.0

Melanie Metheny, missing from Belle, WV since 7/19/2006:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=652.0

Brian Sullivan, missing from Rochester, NY since 7/7/2007:
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=1267.0

You can read more about this program at http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=6319.0

[Kelly]

http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=10973154&nav=menu505_2

National Tour Reviving Reeves County Cold Case

Posted: Aug 21, 2009 10:21 PM CDT
NewsWest 9
by Wyatt Goolsby

BALMORHEA - A cold case involving a missing Reeves County girl could soon get nationwide attention. That's after volunteers from around the country made a stop in Balmorhea Friday afternoon. The group's focus was on Monica Carrasco, who went missing back in 2003. Her family said they'll never stop looking for her.

Friday was a day of prayer and hope for the family of Monica Carasco. Like many family's across the country, they're still searching for their loved one years after the disappearance.

"When people ask me how I feel, I tell them it's like a bad dream, like a nightmare. A living nightmare," Katherine Carrasco, Monica's mother, explained.

Carrasco said her daughter went missing nearly six years ago, and while the cold case in Balmorhea may fade from memory for some, she said she's never stopped looking.

Authorities in Reeves County said ever since Monica Carrasco went missing, they've used lots of resources and manpower to find her. However, with no concrete information law enforcement told NewsWest 9 it's frustrating.

Unforuntaely, officials with the group Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons said this happens a lot nationwide. However, by highlighting specific cases, they're optimistic it will lead to results. 

In the meantime, family and friends in Reeves County will continue to hope and pray. If you have any information about Monica Carrasco, contact the Reeves County Sheriff's Department.

[Kelly]

AAN Annual Poster Notify Sent to AAN Subscribers   Code 69

Help us find the missing: Become an AAN Member and receive notifications about missing persons via email.

Click here to become a part of the solution: http://www.projectjason.org/awareness.html

[Kelly]

Home for the Holidays 2009

Monica Carrasco, missing from Balmorhea, TX since 10/1/2003

Written by Kathy Carrasco, mother of Monica

On Oct. 2 2003, between 1:30am and 6:00 am, my daughter, Monica Carrasco disappeared from her aunt and uncle's home in Balmorhea,Texas. She was 16 yrs old at the time and will turn 23 yrs old this December 13th. All her belongings were left behind: her clothes, shoes, purse, and suitcase. The only thing that seemed to be missing was her bible, which I just bought her a few weeks before she disappeared.



The holidays are the most difficult to deal with. It's our faith in God and constant prayer that keeps us going. I'm so blessed to have my son John, my daughter- in- law Silvia, grand-daughter Cassandra, (3 yrs) grandson Santiago, (18months) my daughter Rachel, and my parents. For all those who give me encouragement and hope, I am truly grateful.

One of my fondest Christmas memories of my daughter, Monica, I wish to share is her wonderfully humorous giving and generous nature. Monica always tried to give everyone what they wished for. She knew all so well that her siblings and others would have the tendency to examine presents under the tree and try to figure out what the gifts were. So she devised a plan of putting gifts into larger boxes (adding a few heavy items such as rocks,etc) . On Christmas eve, it was hilarious to watch the family members opens Monica's specially wrapped gifts. When I say "big" boxes , that would be no exaggeration. Now visualize unwrapping a gift... opening a box... another box....another box...etc.

I started a "Hope"chest where I have been placing Monica's Christmas gifts. I hope and pray that she will come home soon. The Hope chest symbolizes that we never gave up hope and "believe she will come home.

I'd like to close by sharing a poem written by Monica:

                     My Winter Snowman

                                 During
                              The winter
                         The weather is cold
                        And snowflakes drop
                     To the road so cold. The
                     Snowman that I build are
                very unique, they look like cotton
                 and glow like stars. Winter to me
            is very special, it is the best season of the
             year because it is Christmas and your family
       get together, open presents and there is the birth of
                               Jesus Christ
                               Our Lord
                               And Savior


By Monica Carrasco
12-09-98

Note: Non-registered members can leave comments at this site:
http://voice4themissing.blogspot.com/2009/12/home-for-holidays-monica-carrasco.html
(Comments are moderated)

[Jenn]

NamUs profile for Monica: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/5244