3 young missing Wisconsin children located and returned safely from Mexico

RACINE, Wis. — Three missing Wisconsin children were recovered in Mexico by Racine County Child Protective Services staff and returned safely to Racine Friday through the extraordinary efforts of federal and local officials, announced Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave.

The following agencies investigated this case: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of State, Racine Police Department, and Racine County Child Protective Services.

Angela S. Gasca, 10, and her siblings Diana K., 8, and Damian G., 2, went missing Feb. 5 and were believed to be endangered.  The children were in the company of their mother, Amanda Ibarra Gasca, and Ivan Ruiz.  All attempts to locate the children locally were unsuccessful.  It was suspected that Gasca and Ruiz fled the United States with the three children to escape authorities and arrest warrants issued for Ruiz related to child abuse charges.

It was later determined that Gasca and Ruiz entered Mexico and left the children with a relative in Silao, a city in the west-central part of the Mexican state of Guanajuato. The children are U.S. citizens who had spent their entire lives in this country before they went missing. Due to concerns about their safety and well-being, the Racine County Human Services Department collaborated with federal and local officials in an aggressive, multi-state, coordinated effort to bring the children home.

On May 14, two Racine County Child Protective Services staff, led by Melissa Harman, traveled to Mexico City where they worked closely with the U.S. Embassy to secure the retrieval of the children from Guanajuato. On May 15, three months after they went missing, Mexican authorities permitted the children to return to the United States where they were welcomed by close family members. 

“Through the hard work of our Human Services Department, we were able to successfully return these children to Racine,” said Delagrave. 

Assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Racine County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of Corporation Counsel for Racine County. 

National Missing Children’s Day is May 25.