Maria Gomez-Perez disappearance: No new leads as search enters second month
GAINESVILLE, Ga. - The search for a missing 12-year-old Gainesville girl is entering its fifth week.
Thursday marked four weeks since Maria Gomez-Perez disappeared. She was reported missing the following day, May 30.
According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, no substantial new leads have been offered in the case.
"At this time, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office still does not know where Maria is. Investigators do, however, remain vigilant in the search for Maria," the sheriff’s office wrote in a statement released Thursday. "Our agency is thankful for the private citizens who have made generous donations to the reward fund for Maria’s safe return."
A reward of $50,000 for information leading to the safe return of Maria is still active. The sheriff’s office thanked businesses and private citizens for helping to increase that reward to where it stands today. Investigators say it has helped to spark dozens of additional tips.
"Unfortunately, none of those tips gave us viable leads to Maria’s whereabouts," the sheriff’s office wrote.
Investigators say they have received solid leads in South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Illinois and Maryland.
"Those leads did not bring us any closer to finding Maria," the sheriff’s office wrote."We continue to receive assistance from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in our search for Maria. The FBI, Homeland Security, the GBI, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and a number of other agencies have been an integral part of this investigation."
The sheriff’s office added that it remains committed to bringing Maria home safe.
"We understand the community is frustrated at the lack of answers in Maria’s case. That said, our investigators are not giving up hope, and we ask our community to remain hopeful with us," the sheriff’s office wrote. "We continue to seek key information that will lead us to Maria."
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit tip line at 770-503-3232 or by email at intelrequest@hallcounty.org.
Anyone who believes they see Maria is asked to call 911 immediately.