She Planned To Bring Her Teen Son Food At Her Ex-Husband’s House In 2019 But Never Arrived And Has Been Missing Ever Since
Born on October 6, 1970, in Mexico, Graciela Garcia immigrated to the United States with her family as a young girl and ultimately settled in Oregon.
There, she was raised in Hermiston, where she attended Umatilla High School before enrolling at Blue Mountain College.
By 2019, the 49-year-old had four children with her ex-husband. The pair had been married for 17 years before getting a divorce, and Graciela and her ex shared custody of their youngest son.
Additionally, Graciela remarried and was living with her new husband – Cuahotemoc Romero Sanchez – in a home located on Hurlburt Avenue.
At the same time, she owned her own salon known as Careye Beauty Salon, which Graciela operated out of her house. She reportedly went to hair shows often, given her occupation as a hairstylist, and loved to travel.
“She is a well-known, very loved hair stylist in this area. She was always trying to better herself and reach her full potential. And taught us to do the same,” said Graciela’s youngest daughter, Gabby.
But, on an ordinary day in 2019, Graciela disappeared, and what exactly happened has remained a mystery ever since.
It all began on November 8, 2019, when she planned to bring some food to her 14-year-old son. Her son had been staying with his father – her ex-husband – at the time.
However, Graciela never arrived at her ex’s residence with the food. Rather, her husband brought it over and claimed that Graciela had just gone to bed.
Facebook – pictured above is Graciela
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Then, at about 7:00 p.m., Graciela’s son realized that he had one text message and two missed calls from his mom. He also tried to call her back, but he was sent straight to voicemail.
“That was a huge red flag. She always had her phone on and had been in constant contact with my brother that night. They were supposed to meet. That was the plan. She wouldn’t have just turned her phone off and disappeared,” said Gabby.
So, Graciela’s youngest son was worried, and he ultimately told his older siblings about the situation. This prompted Graciela’s older children to go and search her home.
At that point, they discovered that her car was still parked in front of her house, and nothing inside appeared out of order. Yet, their mother was still nowhere to be found.
“That was odd, too. All her jewelry was there. In one place. Whenever she would go out, she would put on her rings. Things would be scattered, like her clothes, but it was all in one place. And nothing was missing,” Gabby recalled.
Graciela has been missing ever since, and the day after she disappeared, she missed multiple appointments at her beauty salon.
She was ultimately reported missing to the Hermiston Police Department by one of her daughters on November 11, 2019.
Upon launching an investigation, it was discovered that Graciela had left behind the majority of her personal belongings – such as her car, purse, clothing, and makeup. Still, she vanished with her cell phone, ID, and passport.
Investigators determined that her cell phone last pinged at about 12:30 a.m. to a cell tower in Washington on November 9, 2019. Afterward, it was disconnected.
Since then, there has been no activity on her bank account, phone, or social media accounts.
Authorities also questioned Graciela’s husband, Cuahotemoc, who claimed that she’d left town. Cuahotemoc reportedly cooperated with the investigation – undergoing a polygraph test, providing DNA samples, and consenting to a search of his residence.
“He was under no legal obligation to do any of those things, and his cooperation was not compelled in any manner,” said Hermiston Police Department Chief Jason Edminston.
Edminston also clarified why an arrest has not been made in Graciela’s case.
“In order to make an arrest and hold somebody in jail, we need to establish probable cause. Legally, probable cause is defined as a substantial, objective basis to believe that, more likely than not, a crime has been committed and the person to be arrested has committed that crime. We have not been able to establish this as of yet. The standard for conviction in a criminal case is even higher,” he explained.
So, despite the fact that foul play is suspected in Graciela’s case, the exact circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unclear, and her case is still unsolved.
Her loved ones have since created a Facebook page entitled Find Graciela Garcia to raise awareness about her disappearance. They also launched a GoFundMe campaign, expressing disappointment in the progress police have made in solving Graciela’s case.
“Police have stated her disappearance is suspicious. However, they have not been able to solve the case or give the family enough information. The family is seeking help in hiring a lawyer and a private investigator to help with the investigation in hopes of bringing Graciela back to her family. Anything is appreciated,” the campaign reads.
Her daughter, Gabby, also believes someone in the community has more information.
“Somebody out there saw something. They had to. We just hope someone will come forward and say something,” she stated.
Graciela is five foot four, weighs 140 pounds, and had blonde hair at the time of her disappearance.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Hermiston Police Department at (541) 567-5519.
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