Denton Child Missing Nearly 14 Months Located, Returned To Family
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DENTON (CBSDFW.COM/KRLD-AM) - A boy who was reported missing after his mother was found murdered more than a year ago in Denton was found today.
Back in December of 2014, an Amber Alert was issued for Ricardo "Alek" Lara, who was four years old at the time, after Denton police found the boy's mother dead at her business at Sanchez Insurance on East McKinney Street.
Alek, who was four-years-old at the time, was last seen with his mother, Maria Isabel Romero Medina when he disappeared.
During the investigation, detectives collected information and evidence that led them to believe Alek's father, Ricardo Lara Martinez, murdered Maria Medina and he had taken off to Mexico with Alek.
In early 2015, a Denton County grand jury indicted Martinez for murder.
"Our number one goal was his well being and bringing him back. Second to that was to bring justice for Maria and the family and that was to bring Ricardo back," said Denton Police spokesperson Shane Kizer.
Since Martinez's indictment, Denton Police have worked with the Department of Justice, the FBI and Mexican authorities to locate Alek Lara and take Ricardo Martinez into custody.
Both were located Monday in Mexico and taken into custody.
"At this time Alec has been returned to Texas to family members." Kizer said.
Ricardo Martinez remains in the custody of Mexican authorities.
The extradition process has begun but it's unclear when he will return to Denton County.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
