The search for a missing Deltona mother and her two children continued Thursday, and her husband has been named a person of interest, Volusia County deputies said.
Yessenia Suarez, 28, and her two children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8, have not been heard from since Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Volusia County deputies were asked by family members to conduct a well-being check on Suarez and her children who live at a house in Covent Gardens Place in Deltona. Investigators found no one at the house when they arrived.
Suarez was the victim of domestic violence incident at her workplace the day before. Her husband and suspect, Luis Toledo, 31, took off before deputies arrived at the location in St. Mary, officials say.
While at Suarez’s house on Wednesday, Toledo showed up and was arrested based on the battery charges the previous day. He was booked into the Volusia County Jail in Daytona Beach.
Family members have not heard from Suarez since Tuesday. Suarez is Hispanic, 5′ 3″ tall and weighs 130 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.
Suarez has two vehicles registered in her name and one was found in the driveway of her home. A newer vehicle, a 2013 Honda Accord, was recovered on Wednesday in the parking lot of a Publix store in Lake Mary, officials say.
Officials have been pursuing leads and actively searching locations for Suarez and her children, while continuing to investigate the circumstances of their disappearance.
Meanwhile, Toledo has been named a person of interest. According to news reports, Toledo is a known gang member and has an extensive criminal record dating back to 1997, with charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and battery with a deadly weapon.
It is not clear if Toledo is cooperating with the investigation.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has posted a missing child alert on its website. The Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force also is assisting.
Anyone with information about Suarez or her children is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 736-5999 or 911 if there is an emergency.
