Family of missing girl seeks answers

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The family of missing 9-year-old Diana Alvarez made an emotional plea Tuesday for those who may have information about her to come forward, nearly two months after her disappearance on May 29 from her San Carlos Park home.

Rita Hernandez, the mother of the girl, broke down in tears during a press conference in Fort Myers when asked if she believes her daughter is still alive. The family called the press conference to reinvigorate the investigation, saying they believe some people have information about the case who’ve yet to come forward.

“In any investigation, it just takes one good lead,” family attorney Thomas Busatta said. “One good lead to turn an investigation around.”

Busatta said they have particular interest in hearing from a woman who may have seen Guerrero on the side of the Interstate 75 with a disabled vehicle. The woman made a since-deleted post on social media saying that Guerrero asked her to get away from the car when she asked if he needed help, Busatta said.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that Guerrero accepted a ride to a gas station from someone who stopped to help when his car ran off State Road 60.

The family also wants to hear from friends and family of Jorge Guerrero, a person of interest in the case who’s in custody facing child pornography charges.

“In her heart she feels that he has taken her, even though he denies it,” Hernandez said in Spanish through an interpreter.

Hernandez spoke with Guerrero through video conference five days ago and asked him repeatedly if he had anything to do with the girl’s disappearance. According to Hernandez, he began talking like a baby, scratching his face and answered only that he didn’t take her, though he did say the girl is alive and that they should look in Mexico, where Alvarez’s father lives.

Martin Alvarez Moreno said his daughter is not with him.

“They can come and look for her in my house. They can investigate me. I’ll confront anything,” he said Tuesday.

Moreno said he was warned about Guerrero, though back in May Moreno said he did not believe Guerrero was involved.

“Our boss told Rita and I to not let Jorge get too close to Diana,” he said. “We tried to create distance but he would still see her often and we all lived together for awhile without any problems.”

Hernandez tried again to speak with Guerrero on Sunday but said he refused.

Busatta’s law firm is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction of those responsible for taking the girl.