Wylie family wakes up to discover mother missing, police now investigating
Wylie Police are investigating the disappearance of a local woman.
Melonie Ballenger's face can now be found on flyers around her hometown, but it's been days since anyone's seen the mother of two in person.
"I miss her," said her husband, Daniel Ballenger.
He says he went to bed with Melonie late Sunday. When he woke Monday morning, she was gone. Left behind were her phone, her car, and medications critical to her health.
"She left with nothing… cash, credit card, wallet, ID…," said Daniel.
The pair have two young daughters, who he says are now worried for their mother.
"Everybody's really concerned about her," said pastor Blake Switzer at Gateway Community Church, where the family attends. The church held a vigil Tuesday night.
"There were maybe a couple hundred people that showed up on Election Night, which is crazy to me, but just because they care and wanted to come and pray."
Wylie police say the last confirmed sighting of Melonie was at Walmart on Saturday. They're working to retrace her steps since then.
"We were told that they believe she was in the residence, but no one can confirm anybody actually physically seeing her," said Sgt Donald English.
Family members say Melonie was home all Sunday feeling sick.
According to her husband, she was scheduled to have heart surgery in the coming weeks and struggling both physically and mentally.
"If you see her, please, please, please call Wylie Police Department, so we can get her back," he said.
Police say they've searched wooded areas, ponds, and neighborhoods around the family's home with no success. They're asking members of the public to avoid doing similar searches on their own to avoid disrupting any scent a police dog might pick up on.