According to Jennifer’s mother, Minorva Murillo, she was doing laundry in the laundry room of a mobile home park near Ironwood Drive and Apache Trail while her children played outside nearby. It was approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday night. She heard Jennifer cry out and she ran outside to check on her. Jennifer was not with the other children, when asked where she was, the children said they did not know. Police were called and they searched door-to-door within the confines of the mobile home park. Pinal County Sheriff’s came to aide in the search. Bloodhounds have been used to search the area for Jennifer without results.

According to Police Chief Jerald Monahan:

“This young person has been missing for a long time now.”…”She was in an open area. Foul play hasn’t been ruled out.”¹

Pictured to the left is the area where the children were playing at the time of Jennifer’s disappearance. Although, admittedly, not a very great place for children to be playing at 11:30 p.m. there are not too many places she could be hiding. I can’t imagine someone coming along and snatching her without at least one of the other children seeing it happen. I keep looking at that picture and I wonder if she is trapped behind or underneath that dumpster on the left. Surely searchers must have looked there. I suppose someone could have snatched Jennifer and took her somewhere without the kids seeing the abduction. The other alternative is the mother is lying about what happened to her daughter. However, I am sure police have verified that Jennifer was in fact outside playing with them at some point last night.

Victim: Jennifer Murillo Perez

Jennifer is a 2 1/2-year-old Hispanic female with brown hair and brown eyes. She is 2’5″ tall and weighs approximately 30lbs. Jennifer was last seen on Friday July 17, 2009 at 11:30 p.m. in the vicinity of the laundry room of a mobile home park near Ironwood Drive and Apache Trail. When last seen Jennifer was wearing a blue dress and pink sandals.²

Anyone with information about Jennifer’s disappearance is asked to call the Apache Junction Criminal Investigation Department at 480-982-8260.

Updates

July 19, 2009: 10:30 p.m. PST

There is more information regarding the alleged kidnapping and molestation suspect and how he was located. Jennifer’s mother went to the laundry room at about 10:30 p.m. Friday to put clothes in the washer and dryer. At that time she noticed a man hanging around the laundry room area talking on a cell phone. When Jennifer’s mother returned to the laundry room at 11:30 p.m. she no longer saw the man in the area. Holtz was at the mobile home park attending a party that night. He was asked to leave and that is when Jennifer’s mother saw him hanging around the laundry room. During the course of the investigation police suspected Holtz was the male spotted in the area. When shown a photograph of Holtz, Jennifer’s mother identified him as the male hanging around the laundry room. Police went to Holtz’ home located a mile away from the mobile home park and they located Jennifer in a back bedroom. Police say Holtz has given them no good or plausible reason for his actions. They have had contact with him in the past but not for such a serious offense. Holtz has been charged with kidnapping, molestation and child endangerment. There is no information about his arraignment. He is being held without bond in Pinal County Jail.³

July 19, 2009: 4:30 p.m. PST

Police announced today that the suspect, Alec Holtz, molested Jennifer while she was missing. She was taken to the hospital to be examined after she was located. I am guessing the examination revealed evidence of molestation. I doubt the suspect confessed to the molestation. I wonder if he drugged her. I am only saying that because when Jennifer was found police said she was in good spirits when they located her on Saturday. The news sources keep stating that Holtz is known to the family but not a relative. You just can’t trust anyone to be around your children nowadays.⁴

July 18, 2009: 10:30 p.m. PST

The identity of Jennifer’s alleged kidnapper has been released to the press. He is twenty-one-year-old Alec Holtz. There is no further information about this individual.I checked the sex offender registry and he does not appear on it. I checked on MySpace and there is one Alec Holtz, age 21, who says he lives in Apache Junction, Arizona. There is no photograph. He says he is in a relationship but leaves his text number if you want to get to know him. The most disturbing part is he states he is a firefighter. It is disturbing to think that a firefighter would abduct a child. Of course, that is if the Alec Holtz on MySpace is the same Alec Holtz who is currently facing kidnapping charges.⁵

July 18, 2009: 6:30 p.m. PST

Jennifer was found late this afternoon unharmed in the home of a person known to the family but not a family member. The suspect was taken into custody. There is no further information at this time regarding the identify of the suspect.⁶ If there is further information I will be sure to post it here. Thank God, she was found safe.

Sources

1. Deborah Stocks and Tim Vetscher, Apache Junction Toddler Goes Missing with Mother Nearby, ABC15.com, Last Accessed: July 18, 2009.
2. Missing Poster: JENNIFER MURILLO PEREZ, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Last Accessed: July 18, 2009.
3. Mike Sakal, A.J. Man Arrested in Kidnapping, East Valley Tribune, Last Accessed: July 19, 2009.
4. Deborah Stocks, Tim Vetscher and Brent Roulier, PD: Kidnapped Apache Junction Child Molested by 21-Year-Old, ABC15.com, Last Accessed: July 19, 2009.
5. Possible Alec Holtz MySpace Page, MySpace.com, Last Accessed: July 18, 2009.
6. Deborah Stocks and Tim Vetscher, Missing Apache Junction Girl Found Safe, Suspect Arrested, ABC15.com, Last Accessed: July 18, 2009.