Police and concerned family members need help finding a missing Dallas educator with a speech impediment.
The search for Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga spans three North Texas communities.
The 24-year-old Dallas man was last seen leaving a mobile home parking lot on Highway 175 in Seagoville on Sept. 27 at about 8:11 p.m., according to his family. .
The next morning, someone found her car abandoned on Lawson Street in Mesquite, her family said.
Her worried loved ones and colleagues continue to search along country roads, wading through dense vegetation.
“It's horrible out there. There's a lot of thorns and everything,” said cousin Lizzi Mendez. “We searched the area to see if we could find any evidence like her shoes, wallet or phone, but there was nothing. There were no leads to lead us to her. ”
Mendez-Olascoaga is a Dallas ISD special education teacher's assistant, said his brother-in-law, Marco Barroso.
A DISD spokesperson confirmed that she is an employee.
For the past few days, concerned family members and co-workers have searched the area along Lawson Street where Mendez-Olascoaga's white Buick was found empty, with no sign of the young woman, her wallet or cell phone.
The only thing her family was able to determine was her last activity on her cell phone, around 10pm on Wednesday.
They didn't notice anything unusual inside the car, except for the seats, which were placed further back than Mendez-Olascoaga would normally seat.
The car was found about a 10-minute drive from the mobile home park.
“She was dropping off some friends at her home and that was the last time she was seen,” Barroso said.
The normally “punctual” teacher's assistant did not report to work Thursday, according to her family and co-workers.
“That's when I got a hint that something was going on,” Mendez said.
After learning of cryptic text messages sent to her friends, her extended family believes there is something sinister behind her disappearance.
Phone numbers are reportedly untraceable.
They turned the messages over to Seagoville police, Barroso said.
“The friend she sent it to received such a message,” Barroso said. “Hey, are you missing someone? Are you missing someone? You'll never find her. She's gone. Next up is Jennifer Mendes and you.”
Seagoville police have confirmed there is a public investigation into her disappearance, but have not yet released any new information or announced any formal search efforts.
With no sign of the young woman, the family grows more and more anxious as each day passes.
As for what they believe was going on, Mendes said, “Maybe she had enemies. To be honest, she was very private about her life, so we didn't talk about it. I don’t know much about it.”
Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga is 5 feet and 4 inches tall and 250 lbs.
Her family said she was in a special needs class at school because of a speech impediment, but was able to communicate in English and Spanish.
They are pleading for cooperation in the search.
“We just want to bring her home,” Mendez said. “If anyone has her, please let her go. Tell them we want her to live.”
The Dallas Police Department has filed an open “search request” report regarding the incident.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga is asked to call the Seagoville Police Department or the Dallas Police Department.
