CARLA ESPINOSA-ALVAREZ 3 - North Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) - 08/05/11

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:40 am

CARLA ESPINOSA-ALVAREZ

Case Type: Non Family Abduction
DOB: Jun 13, 2007
Sex: Female
Missing Date: May 8, 2011
Age Now: 3
Missing City: NORTH LAS VEGAS
Missing State : NV
Missing Country: United States
Race: Hispanic
Height: 3'2" (97 cm)
Weight: 50 lbs (23 kg)
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown

Case Number: NCMC1171508

Circumstances: Both photos shown are of Carla. She was last seen at home on May 8, 2011. Carla was last seen wearing pink pajamas.

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&LanguageCountry=en_US&searchLang=en_US&caseLang=en_US&orgPrefix=NCMC&caseNum=1171508&seqNum=1

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:43 am

Carla Espinosa-Alvarez

Missing since 8 May 2011.

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:47 am

KVVU Las Vegas

9 May 2011

Police: Girl Kidnapped From Foster Home‎
3-Year-Old Carried From Home By Masked Woman

North Las Vegas police are asking for help finding a 3-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home Sunday night.

The girl's foster mother told police that a masked man and woman knocked on her door in the 100 block of Rosa Rosales Court about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, police said.

After tricking the woman to open the door, the man held the foster mother at gunpoint while the masked woman searched the home for the girl, police said.

The girl, identified as Carla Espinosa-Alvarez, was found upstairs and carried out of the home, police said.

The kidnappers are described as Hispanic, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. They were dressed all in black and wore brown masks or bandanas over their faces, police said.

They both spoke fluent Spanish, police said.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/27832430/detail.html

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:48 am

Las Vegas Sun

9 May 2011

Police seek help in search for abducted 3-year-old girl‎

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/may/09/police-seek-help-search-missing-3-year-old-girl/

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:50 am

Las Vegas Review-Journal

9 MAy 2011

Police searching for kidnapped foster girl‎

A 3-year-old foster girl whose biological mother had threatened to take her away was kidnapped at gunpoint Sunday night, North Las Vegas police said.

Authorities, including the FBI, were searching for Carla Espinosa-Alvarez after a masked couple tricked their way into the home near Commerce Street and Lone Mountain Road and took the girl.

Once inside the home on the 100 block of Rosa Rosales Court, the masked man held the foster mother at gunpoint while the masked woman searched the house, found Carla and carried her away, police said.

Carla had been living at the home for seven months.

Clark County Department of Family Services spokeswoman Christine Skorupski could not release details about Carla's foster case, citing confidentiality rules.

In a statement, she said the agency was "very concerned for the well-being of this young, vulnerable child. We appreciate any information from the public that will assist North Las Vegas Police Department in locating Carla quickly and safely."

Investigators want to speak to Carla's biological mother, Maria Espinosa-Alvarez, a 30-year-old Mexican national. She is thought to live in Mexico and had threatened to take Carla from the foster home, police said.

Authorities notified other law enforcement agencies of the kidnapping, including those along the Mexican border, said officer Chrissie Coon, a police spokeswoman.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/police-searching-for-kidnapped-foster-girl-121539654.html?ref=654

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:52 am

KVVU Las Vegas

10 May 2011

Mother May Be Key To Finding Kidnapped Girl‎

The kidnappers dressed head-to-toe in black and wore masks to conceal their faces.

They escaped in a white luxury sedan with tinted windows, but no one got a good look at the license plate number.

Their victim’s closest relative lives in Mexico.

These are the challenges facing North Las Vegas police as they try to find 3-year-old Carla Espinosa-Alvarez, who was taken at gunpoint from her foster family’s home on Sunday night.

Espinosa-Alvarez is described as Hispanic, 3-feet, 2-inches tall and 50 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her most distinguishing feature may be her four silver-capped front teeth.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/27838637/detail.html

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:53 am

KLAS-TV

10 May 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Kidnapped 3-Year-Old Found Safe in Mexico‎

A little girl kidnapped from her North Las Vegas foster home has been found.

Less than 48 hours after three-year-old Carla Espinoza-Alvarez was kidnapped from her home, authorities have confirmed that the little girl has been found safe in Mexico with her biological mother.

"At this point of investigation, there are lots of unanswered questions. Investigators are not stopping here because she has been found unharmed," said North Las Vegas police officer Chrissy Coon.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/14617512/3-year-old-kidnapped-from-foster-home

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:56 am

Las Vegas Sun

10 May 2011

3-year-old girl kidnapped at gunpoint found unharmed in Mexico‎

The 3-year-old foster child kidnapped at gunpoint Sunday evening from a North Las Vegas home has been found safe in Mexico with her biological mother, police said this morning.

Authorities said they worked with the Mexican Consulate to confirm Carla Espinosa-Alvarez's whereabouts. She was unharmed, police said.

Espinosa-Alvarez lived with her foster family in the 100 block of Rosa Rosales Court near Commerce Street and West Lone Mountain Road......

........ Authorities said the investigation is ongoing regarding the girl's kidnapping and discussions are under way to determine where she will reside for the time being.

Police spokeswoman Chrissie Coon said officials were relieved to find Carla unharmed, but many unanswered questions remain.

"It's not over," she said, referring to the case. "If anything, it's just beginning."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/may/10/3-year-old-girl-kidnapped-gunpoint-found-unharmed-/

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 8:58 am

KVVU Las Vegas

10 May 2011

Kidnapped Girl Found In Mexico‎
Girl Found In Mother's Custody, Authorities Say

A 3-year-old girl taken from her North Las Vegas home on Sunday night has been found in Mexico with her biological mother, according to the Mexican Consulate.

However, it’s unknown whether 30-year-old Maria Espinosa-Alvarez was one of the two masked kidnappers who took 3-year-old Carla Espinosa-Alvarez from her foster family in the 100 block of Rosa Rosales Court.

A male kidnapper held Espinosa-Alvarez’s foster mother at gunpoint while a female kidnapper took the girl.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/27840585/detail.html

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 9:01 am

KTNV Las Vegas

10 May 2011

Police locate kidnapped 3-year-old unharmed in Mexico‎

Police say three-year-old Carla Espinoza-Alvarez, abducted from her home near Commerce Street and West Lone Mountain Road Sunday night, has been found unharmed with her biological mother in Mexico.

Authorities say they worked with the Mexican Consulate to confirm Carla Espinosa-Alvarez's whereabouts.

It is unclear when Carla will be coming back to the United States. The investigation into her abduction remains ongoing.

http://www.ktnv.com/story/14618285/police-locate-kidnapped-3-year-old-in-mexico

**Twiglet** Wed May 11, 2011 9:03 am

Missing kids had not updated yet so I think we should leave this case here until they do!!!
It may take some time for Carla to be returned from Mexico.
Hopefully all will be sorted quickly with the child's best interests at heart!!!!

**Twiglet** Sun May 15, 2011 9:44 am

KVVU Las Vegas

10 May 2011

No Charges Yet In Case Of Kidnapped Girl‎

No charges have been filed against the mother of a North Las Vegas girl kidnapped Sunday and later recovered in Mexico, despite the woman’s previous threats to take the girl from her foster family.

However, authorities insist the investigation is still in its early stages, and few details have been released.

The Mexican consulate notified North Las Vegas police Tuesday that 3-year-old Carla Espinosa-Alvarez had been found unharmed in the custody of her mother, 30-year-old Maria Espinosa-Alvarez.

It’s unknown whether the mother was one of the two masked kidnappers who took the girl at gunpoint from her foster family on Rosa Rosales Court near Lone Mountain Road and Commerce Street.

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/27844419/detail.html

**Twiglet** Sun May 15, 2011 9:46 am

KTNV Las Vegas

11 May 2011

Unknown when kidnapped 3-year-old will return to US

Police say three-year-old Carla Espinoza-Alvarez, abducted from her home near Commerce Street and West Lone Mountain Road Sunday night, has been found unharmed with her biological mother in Mexico.

Carla's foster mother told police that around 9:30 pm Sunday night two masked people held her at gunpoint and took Carla from the residence.

http://www.ktnv.com/story/14620868/how-investigators-located-kidnapped-3-year-old-in-mexico

**Twiglet** Sun May 15, 2011 9:48 am

KTNV Las Vegas

11 may 2011

Foster family horrified at 3 year-old girl's brazen abduction‎

When 3 year-old Carla Espinosa-Alvarez was abducted from her foster home Sunday night by two masked gunman, the Peterson family felt particular concern.

Foster parents themselves, Sterling and Kristi Peterson can imagine exactly what that foster mom went through.

"It's frightening. Really scary," says Sterling. "I'm horrified."

The Peterson's have been foster parents for four years and have even adopted three of the kids they've cared for.

Putting themselves in the shoes of 3 year-old Carla Espinosa-Alvarez's foster mom, held at gunpoint while Carla was abducted, is enough to make Kristi lose it.

"That's going to make me cry," says Kristi. "Because we're in this because of the kids, for their safety, for their protection."

Many kids in the foster system come from troubling backgrounds and foster parents do not get to choose the kids they take in.

News that Carla was found safe days later in Mexico with her biological mother, doesn't surprise them.

http://www.ktnv.com/story/14622207/foster

**Twiglet** Sun May 15, 2011 9:50 am

Las Vegas Review - Journal

12 may 2011

Story of foster child's kidnapping under scrutiny‎

Her foster girl is gone. Her sense of safety is shattered. Her story is under suspicion.

All Marisol Losoya wants now is her daughter returned and her life back to normal, the way it was before Sunday night when, she told police, a masked couple held her at gunpoint and snatched 3-year-old Carla Espinosa-Alvarez from her home.

"I feel like everything happened to me, and it seems like I don't have any backup," she said Wednesday. "I don't have nobody on my side. ... I don't feel like nobody is there to protect me."

On Monday, Carla was found unharmed in Mexico with her biological mother, Mexican national Maria Espinosa-Alvarez. Soon after, sources said, Espinosa-Alvarez told authorities that the kidnapping was a hoax and that she had paid Losoya to willingly return Carla, a U.S. citizen, to Mexico.

North Las Vegas police have been investigating those claims, sources said, and have not named any suspects.

Losoya said she doesn't think police believe her story, and she vehemently denied Espinosa-Alvarez's allegations.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/kidnap-story-under-scrutiny-121691788.html

**Twiglet** Sat Aug 27, 2011 7:18 am

Las Vegas Review - Journal

22 August 2011

County officials in international custody battle over 3-year-old

One Sunday evening, a 3-year-old girl disappeared from her North Las Vegas foster home and reappeared in Mexico the next morning.

Three months later, the police investigation has stalled, and Carla Espinosa-Alvarez, a U.S. citizen and legal ward of Clark County, is caught in the middle of an international custody battle that is moving at a snail's pace.

"It's an open case, but there's no effort being put forth right now," North Las Vegas police Sgt. Tim Bedwell said. "We're at a standstill."

How Carla even arrived in Mexico remains a mystery to police, with conflicting stories yet to be sorted out.

Marisol Losoya, Carla's foster mother, told police a masked couple tricked their way into her home on May 8, held her at gunpoint and snatched the girl.

But Maria Espinosa-Alvarez, Carla's biological mother, told Mexican authorities the kidnapping story had been a hoax, that she had paid Losoya to bring Carla across the border.

Bedwell said detectives have been unable to interview Espinosa-Alvarez in Mexico.

"We'd still like to speak to the mother to get her side of the story," Bedwell said. "We're looking at something here that might not even be an outright kidnapping, I don't think. It could be more of a custodial issue."

The custody dispute first arose after Espinosa-Alvarez left her daughter with friends in Las Vegas last year and went to Mexico to attend to some personal affairs. When she tried to return to Las Vegas, she was denied entry into the country. It's unclear whether she had been living in the United States illegally.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/county-officials-in-international-custody-battle-over-3-year-old-128168878.html

**Twiglet** Sat Aug 27, 2011 7:20 am

Fox News

22 August 2011

Las Vegas Foster Child Focus of International Custody Battle

Police in Nevada say an international custody battle has stalled over a 3-year-old girl who disappeared from a North Las Vegas foster home and ended up in Mexico.

North Las Vegas police Sgt. Tim Bedwell tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper that Carla Espinosa-Alvarez is a U.S. citizen and legal ward of Clark County.

He says the investigation stalled because detectives can't talk with her mother.

The foster mother told police that a masked couple abducted the child at gunpoint May 8.

Police say the child's biological mother told Mexican authorities she paid the foster mother to bring the girl across the border.

Officials say the girl was put in foster care last year after the mother went to Mexico but was denied entry back into the U.S.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/22/las-vegas-foster-child-focus-international-custody-battle/

**Twiglet** Sat Aug 27, 2011 7:24 am

El Nuevo Herald (AP US)

23 August 2011

GOOGLE TRANSLATION

Adopted child is center of dispute over custody in Mexico and the U.S.

The international custody battle a girl of 3 years old who disappeared from a foster home in the city of North Las Vegas and ending in Mexico was stagnant, Nevada police said.

Tim Bedwell, police sergeant North Las Vegas, told the local newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal that Carla Espinosa Alvarez is a U.S. citizen and is under the guardianship of Clark County.

He added that the investigation was stranded because the detectives can not communicate with his mother.

The temporary home of the foster mother told police that a masked pair had abducted the girl at gunpoint on May 8.

Police said the girl's biological mother told the Mexican authorities had paid to adoptive mother to the girl cross the border.

She was assigned to a temporary home last year after his mother left Mexico and were prohibited from entering back into U.S., officials said.

http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/08/22/1008987/nina-adoptiva-es-el-centro-de.html

**pam supportfromireland** Sun Dec 18, 2011 5:22 am

Missing kids still not updated here, very odd??

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