Sacramento children who vanished after mother found dead still missing 6 months later
SACRAMENTO — It has been six long months of searching for Athena and Mateo Lee after their mother, Angelica Bravo, was found dead in a Sacramento home.
Angelica's parents placed her favorite things by her graveside Thursday while covered in grief.
"Twenty-eight years is not long enough," Angelica's father, Phillip Bravo, said.
Investigators still believe the children are with their father, Cameron Lee, who was last seen crossing the border into Mexico days after Angelica was found dead.
"We can't call him a suspect because there's not a homicide to call him a suspect to as of right now," Sacramento Police spokesperson Officer Anthony Gamble said.
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office currently has Angelica's death/hub/cmsframework/reroute/content_article/f8db9a52-ff74-4ccc-a44b-3958b925b1bd#link={listed as "undetermined," even though Gamble said investigators believe the death was suspicious.
The coroner's office could not tell us if it's ordered any additional tests related to Angelica's death or if there is an estimated time for when the cause will be changed from "undetermined," if at all.
"An undetermined death may also require additional investigative efforts from law enforcement or other local agencies, which is the case in this instance," a spokesperson for the county said in an email.
CBS13 showed that email to Gamble.
"I don't know which information they are requesting," Gamble said. "Homicide detectives came out and they worked this case extensively from top to bottom, left to right and around the clock."
Gamble said detectives have already handed over every piece of evidence they could to the coroner.
"The last thing we want to do is point the finger between agencies," he added. "What we do know is Angelica Bravo was found dead in her residence. The father of her children was not there, has not contacted us and then fled to Mexico. That raises concern for us."
The issue is that since the missing children are believed to be with their father, police cannot pursue him unless they can determine a crime had been committed.
"She is going to have a headstone. That is also hinging on the autopsy," Angelica's mother, Dawn Bodea, said.
The family is left without answers in Angelica's death but holds onto hope that little Athena and Mateo will someday return home to them.
"We're very frustrated. We would like a little more transparency," Phillip Bravo said.
Gamble said the department's priority right now with the case is finding Athena and Mateo Lee. It is continuing to work with local, state and federal agencies to bring them back to Sacramento safely.
The family is also offering a $12,000 reward for anyone with information.
