Mum of ‘kidnapped’ daughter hires private investigator 40 days after she vanished
FORTY days and counting have passed since a heartbroken mom has seen her daughter, who she believes was kidnapped.
Jolissa Fuentes was last seen around 4am on August 7, when surveillance video at a Selma, California gas station recorded her getting out of her car to buy snacks.
Now Jolissa’s family have taken matters into their own hands and turned to a private investigator.
“We’re not waiting for the police to find her,” her mom Norma Nunez said. “We’re going to bring her home.”
On Wednesday they raised the reward for information about Jolissa’s whereabouts to $15,000 and today released new photos to The U.S. Sun.
All of the reward money came from either donations or raised through raffles and GoFundMe.
“I’m praying today and everyday that she comes home. Whoever has her has to let her go. Her family needs her back,” Nunez said.
Police held their first press conference this week since Jolissa vanished, but they didn’t have any updates.
Since then, her mom Norma Nunez has been juggling media interviews, working her daily job to pay bills and using every tool available as part of her search for Jolissa.
She’s doing all this while trying to block the depressing thoughts from seeping into her head and taking control.
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“Today was not good. I woke up not feeling well,” Nunez told The U.S. Sun on Friday.
“It’s been 40 days today. I tried going to work, but I couldn’t do it and came home. I need my Jolissa back.”
“SOMEONE HAS HER”
Selma police said from the start that Jolissa’s disappearance is being investigated as a criminal matter.
Nunez told The U.S. Sun in a previous interview that she believes her daughter was kidnapped but has a gut feeling she’s still alive.
“Someone has her,” she said.
Adventures With Purpose (AWP), an Oregon-based volunteer diving search team that found missing girl Kiely Rodni’s truck and body in the water, scoured the lakes where Jolissa’s phone last pinged.
But there was no sign of her, which her mom called a relief.
On Wednesday, AWP uploaded two documentary-type videos on YouTube about their search to raise more awareness for Jolissa.
HAUNTING LAST CLUES
Jolissa’s family and friends posted pictures of a black Micheal Kors backpack that she wore the last time she was seen.
Jolissa is said to have told her brother that she was going to the store and she’ll “be right back” after stopping at her gran’s house to pick up the bag containing money for the shop.
She also tried to FaceTime her sister at 3.59am, but Jolissa’s sister was sleeping and didn’t answer.
“Why did she FaceTime? Did she want to show us something? Was something wrong?” her mom said.
“Everything’s been going through our heads.”
SELMA’S TERRAIN AND TIPLINE
The area around the cities of Sanger and Selma is a vast countryside with woods and lakes that neighbor several mountains.
Adventures With a Purpose ruled out the lakes.
Family and friends set up an online, interactive map to coordinate the search efforts that they posted in Facebook groups.
Authorities continue to search for a 2011 silver Hyundai with the license plate 8MPU766, which remains missing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Selma Police Department at (559) 891-2252.