Family Of Rita Gutierrez-Garcia Spreads The Word About Their Search
By Jamie Leary
(CBS4) - The family of Rita Gutierrez-Garcia doesn't care how long it takes, they're determined to keep spreading her story until she is found.
On Sunday they headed to the Boulder County Fair to pass out flyers, bracelets and T-shirts; hoping fair goers would be understanding of their mission.
"I just know there's a lot of families here. A lot of families here who love each other as much as we love Rita," said Jessica Reyes-Romero, Rita's sister.
Romero along with Rita's mother have custody of Rita's youngest children; Reyes, 9 and Roman, 13.
"We want to pass out flyers and show everyone how were looking and how we won't stop," said Roman.
Like the rest of their family, they want to know what happened.
"We're trying to stay positive," said Reyes.
"I'm doing fine it's just like, sometimes, I'll be like fine but sometimes I'll be confused and not know what to think," said Roman.
On Sunday families at the fair were more than understanding of the efforts to find Rita. Even after nearly five months of looking, it was clear people are still paying attention.
"We all want the guy caught ... if it were my daughter I wouldn't rest and a lot of us here in Longmont feel the same way. You ought to be safe in the street, you ought to be able to go to a bar without being snapped up," said one Longmont resident.
Investigators have named Juan Jose Figueroa Jr. as a suspect in the 34-year-old's disappearance. He is currently in custody on a $1 million bond and facing charges for a separate rape case. He has not been charged in Rita's disappearance.
"We're going to have justice not just for ourselves but for the other victims also," said Diane Romero, Rita's mother.
The family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts. They have also set up a GoFundMe page to help Rita's children and to help with funding to find her.
Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn't imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.