Father and daughter missing in Big Bend National Park

[Howl]

A father and 9-year-old daughter from Ft. Stockton, TX were last seen on January 28th, so at this point 11 days.  Their truck was found abandoned on the north end of Old Ore Road in Big Bend National Park, on the east side of the park.  It's not thought they had any camping gear with them when they left the truck. 

This is rugged, unforgiving desert.  Weather in January can be all over the place, from freezing weather to balmy days in the 70s and 80s. 

There have been exactly zero news updates about them or the intensive ongoing search for them. The FBI is involved in the search.  Nobody is posting anything on social media who has direct information about them.  Zip. Nada. Nothing. 

Nobody knows: 

• Where, exactly, the truck was found other than it was "abandoned" at the north end of Old Ore Road.   Was it parked on the road or by an official campsite? 
• When was the truck located and a search initiated? 
• If the truck ran out of gas, was otherwise disabled, or was stuck
• Were they attempting to drive a 4-wheel-drive road in a regular pick-up truck?
• Who actually reported them missing? When were they expected to return? 
• Why a school-aged girl is with her dad in the park on a weekday (Friday)?
• Is there a mom back in Ft. Stockton? (Ft. Stockton is about a 90 minute drive from the north entrance to the park) Are the parents divorced/separated/divorcing?

All we know about the dad is that he's 49 years old, 150 lbs, and 5'9". 

Lots of speculation on line that they "went to Mexico."   I've been on the north end of Old Ore Road.  It's 26 miles of rough road (4 wheel drive required) to the southern terminus at a paved road and the Rio Grande is a few more miles.  There's no road on the other side of the river.  

Logistically, if you wanted to go to Mexico, you drive on the paved highway to Boquillas crossing.  

So, at this point, a big mystery. 

Word for word, this is the news release posted by all news outlets: 

Quote

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas — The National Park Service, Big Bend National Park and the Federal Bureau of Investigation El Paso Field Office, Alpine Resident Agency Office, are asking for information from the public about a missing man and child who recently traveled to the park.

On Jan. 28, the last day they were seen, Hector Flores, Jr., 49, and his daughter, Luna Flores, 9, traveled from Fort Stockton to Big Bend National Park, in a blue 2005 Dodge 1500 truck.

The truck was later found abandoned along the northern end of the remote Old Ore Road, with many of their personal belongings inside. Authorities believe that they may be traveling on foot inside the park, without the proper clothing or equipment to do so.

Hector has black hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and approximately 150 pounds. Luna has black hair and brown eyes.

Investigators say they both are from Fort Stockton but have family in San Antonio.

Teams are searching the hiking trails, driving backcountry roads and using helicopters to see if they can see them in a remote area not easily accessed on foot.

Searchers from the NPS, the NPS Investigative Services Branch, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Texas Department of Public Safety are involved in the search.

If anyone has any information on the missing father and daughter, call the FBI Tipline at (800) 225-5324.

 

Edited February 8, 2022 by Howl

[Howl]

Still not found, but an update on the search: 

Search continues for father and daughter missing in Big Bend National Park Park rangers say a major concern is that the two didn't have proper clothing or camping equipment especially after the below freezing temperatures last week.

Quote

NewsWest 9 [Midland, TX] spoke with Tom VandenBerg, Park Ranger and Public Information Officer for Big Bend National Park. He said several agencies have joined forces on the search to hike the area, drive the backcountry roads and search from the air using helicopters.

"Over the weekend, we had... about 25 people active in the search," said VandenBerg. "Today, I believe we have about 10 people on the ground tracking and combing the areas as carefully as they can. The Border Patrol helicopter is in action today as well as the Department of Public Safety aircraft."

VandenBerg said the search began immediately after the vehicle was found. He said it's difficult to make a conclusion to what happen to the people.

"It was in a remote part of the park and near the northwestern end of Big Bend National Park," said VandenBerg. "It's hard to say whether they are out on foot or perhaps they were to be picked up by somebody."

Vandenberg said the park is large enough that it may present different challenges.

"The park gets 581,000 visitors a year," said VandenBerg. "We often don't have a lot of contact with most of the visitors that come and enjoy the park. This situation does seem a little strange with their vehicle and belongings found and them not in the area."

VandenBerg told NewsWest 9 people who visit the park should go prepared with camping gear and supplies they may need. He also emphasized on the importance of knowing the weather conditions.

"This time of the year, it can be very cold and followed by a very warm day," said VandenBerg. "Our nights are getting below freezing. "It's been fairly cold during the last week and during the time these people went missing. That's another concern."

 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Howl

[Howl]

Still not found, but an update with more details from The Big Bend Sentinel.  Mother and father of Hector, grandparents of Luna, were driving to the park yesterday.  They were notified when the truck was found on Feb. 6th. 

Although father and daughter loved to camp and fish, he (the grandfather) was very surprised that they would do so in such cold weather. 

The truck was found by a ranger on patrol on Feb. 6 near a campsite on the northern part of Old Ore Road and a search began that afternoon.  For that to happen, it must have been immediately obvious that this was a missing persons (lost hiker?) case.  (Campsites on Old Ore Road are available on a reservation-only basis.)

I'm confused by the timeline, though.  Originally I thought they entered the park on Jan. 28, but from this conversation with Hector, Sr. it seems they were there the following week. 

Quote

“We were surprised he was out there,” said Flores [Sr.]. “Especially that he was out there Friday — it was very cold out there and there was a lot of ice at the time.”   

In the late night hours of Thursday, Feb. 3, and in the early morning hours that Friday, temperatures in the park dipped into the single digits. 

Big Bend Sentinel, Feb 9, 2022: Fort Stockton man and daughter missing in Big Bend

 

[Howl]

 Still no updates.  The father and daughter have not been found. 

[Howl]

Still nothing...I keep hoping for news, but it likely won't be good news, so maybe no news is good news in this instance. 

[Howl]

Joy joy joy.  Hector and Luna were located alive and "healthy" in the tiny village of Boquillas in northern Mexico, just across the river and a few miles along a dirt road from Rio Grande Village in Big Bend National Park.  

My understanding is that the residents of  Boquillas reported to Mexican authorities that two people matching the description of Hector and Luna Flores were looking for food to purchase.  Mexican authorities detained them and they've been returned to the US. 

For reference, their truck was found abandoned towards the northern end of Old Ore Road.  The southern end of Old Road is close to Rio Grande Village. 

They have been missing for two weeks; there's got to be a story about when and why they crossed the river and where they've been staying and I'm sure Hector is being grilled about that. 

I never imagined this positive outcome; I'd assumed they'd died of exposure the first night away from their truck with no camping gear. 

This must be infuriating to all the people who were involved in searching for them in the park, though.  I'd speculate there will be (literally) a bill to pay for all the costs associated with that search, including airplane and helicopters, which are insanely expensive. 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Howl

[Maggie Mae]

My first thought is maybe a custody thing? My second thought was that they got lost and ended up in the first town they found, hungry and looking for help. 

 

 

[FiveAcres]

Glad to read they are both safe, whatever the poor judgment that led to their getting lost. One of the things about living in the Mountain West is learning how quickly the conditions can change from a pleasant day to a bitterly cold night. 

[Howl]

I've been mulling this over and don't think there is any way to  get lost on Old Ore Road and "accidentally" wind up in Boquillas, Mexico in this scenario.  Luna is only nine years old; no way could she have made the 20+ mile trek. There's got to be more to the story.  Was it a staged disappearance? I hope Hector will fill in the blanks.

So...There's a very nice paved road to Rio Grande Village, a large developed campground within the park near the southern end of Old Ore Road and the location of a "formal" crossing of the Rio Grande to visit Boquillas, Mexico (see photo below). 

The National Park Service has an information page: Visiting Boquillas, Mexico  and Boquillas has its own website at boquillas.org

The flow in the Rio Grande right now is incredibly low -- easy to wade across the river and go the half mile to Boquillas, Mexico where they were found. Boquillas is a tiny village; I can't imagine how they could be there without everybody in town knowing.  Here's a photo of the actual crossing, looking south to the Mexican side. 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Howl

[Sarcastically spinster]

On 2/16/2022 at 8:39 AM, Howl said:

Luna is only nine years old; no way could she have made the 20+ mile trek.

This depends, tbh.  I know kids from families that do a lot of hiking that can outwalk many adults, and kids younger than 9 that could manage that distance.  If she's been regularly camping/hiking/etc., that hike, especially if they camped overnight on the way there, wouldn't necessarily be any big deal for her.  

Kids can be remarkably hardy, especially if they've built up to it the same way adults train for things.  

[Howl]

Note: The only way to get to Boquillas is to wade across the river (easy at this very low water level) or get the row boat guy to row you across and then go a half mile on the dirt road to the village.  There is no vehicle crossing.  This is a legal border crossing requiring passport to re-enter the US, but is not manned 24 hours a day and may even be closed a few days a week.  There would be a record if Hector and Luna crossed legally and that would likely have been checked in the first day or two of the search. 

This is what stands out to me: at no point did they ask anyone for help that we know of.  If in the very unlikely possibility that they walked the length of Old Ore Road, they would have come to a major paved road that goes to Rio Grande Village.  There's good signage in the park. There's traffic on that road.  It's not possible that they encountered no one to ask for help or seek help. 

Not along Old Ore Road, not at Rio Grande Village, not where they crossed the river, not on the road to Boquillas, not in Boquillas. They were gone a LONG time and had to be staying somewhere, with someone.  The overnight lows at various points while they were gone were simply not survivable without good sleeping bags at a minimum. 

If they had a vehicle breakdown and needed help, common sense dictates they would have backtracked north to the main park paved road (there's traffic on that road) that they came in on. 

There is simply no way they could have gotten to Boquillas and hung around in that area without encountering people who would have been glad to help a father with a young daughter.  

They were reported to be healthy and in good condition.  At this point I'm guessing staged disappearance and trying to hide their presence in Mexico.  Maybe a bizarre abduction story. Who knows? 

But overland wandering without camping gear for over 10 days and somehow winding up in Mexico simply isn't a viable explanation, to my mind. 

That said, there a big gap between the day they were reported to have left Ft. Stockton (late January) and the date the truck was found "abandoned" by a park ranger patrolling the road (Feb 6?).  It's over two weeks they were unaccounted for.   Still a mystery! 

[Howl]

Well, more updates.  The father has been arrested and charged with child endangerment -- no bail because he's a flight risk. The daughter said they had not eaten for four days, with the exception of some food given to them by kayakers -- hence the child endangerment charges. They could be other reasons, but that's all that's available now.  The child endangerment charges are Federal, because Big Bend National Park is a Federal entity. 

The father dis-enrolled Luna from school in early January and did not re-enroll her anywhere else.  Hector Flores' phone was disconnected on Jan. 26th for nonpayment. The father called his place of work on Jan. 27 to say he wouldn't be in and was fired.  I think on January 28th, the truck was seen on camera entering the park. 

I so truly hope this child has relatives to go to (grandparents? aunt/uncle?) and isn't put in the foster care system. There isn't any reference to a mother taking custody. 

[Pecansforeveryone]

Her father's parents are still alive and had checked in on the search, yes? Assuming they are basically decent people, I hope they get custody of their grand daughter. I hope I am remembering correctly. I got a pretty big abduction and living off the grid vibe the more others posted.  

[Howl]

10 hours ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

Her father's parents are still alive and had checked in on the search, yes? Assuming they are basically decent people, I hope they get custody of their grand daughter.

Yes, according to early reports, his parents (Luna's grandparents) live in San Antonio.  Based on posts on the Big Bend National Park facebook page, it sounded like there was an aunt/uncle and  possibly other extended family in Fort Stockton. One poster mentioned searching for their "sweet niece."  Notably (in retrospect) they did not mention Hector. 

10 hours ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

I got a pretty big abduction and living off the grid vibe the more others posted.  

Father who went missing with daughter in Big Bend National Park facing federal child endangerment charges Hector Flores Jr. and his daughter were missing for over two weeks in Big Bend National Park.

The article linked has information from an affidavit (for Hector's arrest?) describing the truck and the scene around it: 

"Park authorities found Flores' truck abandoned inside the park with several of their personal belongings inside...According to court documents, authorities found several personal documents like social security cards and birth certificates inside the truck.There were also 'numerous personal items' within a few hundred yards of the truck. These included clothing, toiletries and toys."

This is the creepiest part.  Hector Flores apparently cut off his daughter's long hair:  "The affidavit also noted there were locks of hair roughly six inches long that appeared to have been cut. The hair was later matched to the daughter."

So very very happy they are alive and hoping that Luna has survived this episode without harm, because it sounds like the father wasn't doing well and I won't speculate further. 

My curiosity is piqued about what the FBI and others made of the scene at the truck when they started the search, because there was nothing about it that would point to  "normal park visitors went for a day hike and got lost." 

As they located resources in Ft. Stockton and started to get an idea of what Hector was all about, it may have pointed to Luna being in danger. 

 

 

[Howl]

A few more details are being reported about the scene at the truck, detailed in this article by the Ft. Worth Star Telegram:  Locks of girl’s hair were found in search for  missing Texas dad and daughter, feds say

"In the complaint filed in United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, officials say the 'personal belongings' found in his truck included...a document that proved Flores Jr. is the girl’s biological father." 

As investigators began searching the area, they found 'numerous personal items strewn about within a few hundred yards of the vehicle, farther down the wash,' according to the complaint. 'These items included adult and child clothing, children’s backpacks, toiletries for an adult and a child, and children’s toys.'"

this breaks my heart: "...the complaint continues, adding that they also found a small animal cage...officials say...she [Luna] had a pet rat."

A major effort is required to scatter things "a few hundred yards" -- it's a pretty good distance -- about a tenth of a mile.   Did he load up all of Luna's possessions before they left Ft. Stockton?

When the park rangers discovered this crazy mess at the truck with Hector and Luna's foot prints leading into the desert, it must have kicked the search into incredibly high gear because it so clearly points to a child in danger. 

Don't know how I missed this last sentence in the article: 

Quote

On Feb. 16, U.S Attorney Ashley Huff filed for Flores Jr. to be held without bond, noting he is a flight risk and poses a danger to the community.

"Poses a danger to the community" sounds pretty damn ominous. 

 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Howl

[church_of_dog]

I wonder if they walked at night rather than during the day, both to help keep warm as well as to hide from others.

[Howl]

1 hour ago, church_of_dog said:

I wonder if they walked at night rather than during the day, both to help keep warm as well as to hide from others.

That's a very interesting thought.  However,  at least one night after they left the truck nighttime temps were down to 10 degrees above zero with other very cold days and nights; there was at least one heavy rain event. Even walking, it would be hard to keep going in bitter cold. 

The whole thing is crazy and I don't know if more details will come out to clarify what the story is for those "missing" days.

Was Hector was having a psychological breakdown?  His actions don't seem like those of a sane, grounded person. 

At least Luna is alive, warm, fed and (hopefully) recovering from her ordeal. 

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Howl

[Howl]

Hector Flores had a hearing in Alpine, TX this week.  The information from the hearing demystifies what they were doing on Old Ore Road and after.  They intended to cross into Mexico and live off the land.  The truck broke down, they camped by the truck for a few days and then headed for the border.  They apparently were on foot the entire time and ran out of food and water. It's amazing, truly amazing that they both survived.

The father does not seem mentally 100%. As noted, he was headed to Mexico to live off the land and had been reading survivalist books that he had checked out from the Fort Stockton library, and apparently believed (according to the daughter) that Mexico would be a safe island after a massive earthquake/tsunami.  

1) Why they were driving down Old Ore Road, when there is a perfectly fine paved road going to the border crossing?

2) The border crossing is boat/foot only, so....??

Anyway, link here to the article posted on the Big Bend Sentinel website : Court proceedings begin for Fort Stockton man charged with child endangerment after Big Bend National Park disappearance

Edited February 25, 2022 by Howl

[Pecansforeveryone]

It will be interesting if this takes a doomsday, religious turn or an alt-right conspiracy turn. 

[Howl]

Father who went missing with daughter in Big Bend National Park indicted by Grand Jury    Hector Flores, Jr. is facing federal child endangerment charges.

Not much of an update, here's the text of the short article: 

Quote

PECOS, Texas — Hector Flores, Jr., the father who went missing with his daughter in Big Bend National Park, has been indicted by a federal grand jury.  Flores went in front of the jury on March 10 for child endangerment charges.

The grand jury found there was enough evidence that he put his daughter in danger to send the case forward to trial.

This really caught my attention:

Quote

Prior to going before a grand jury, Flores was not granted bond by a judge due to a previous history of evading arrest.

There is no word at this time on when the case will go to trial.

I've never had reason to think about this, but this having Federal jurisdiction seems to be treated in a much more serious way. 

 I've been following this on Websleuths, where I found this update. I'll post if there is news of a plea deal.

So hoping the daughter has found a safe and stable refuge with relatives. 

Edited March 12, 2022 by Howl

[hoipolloi]

Glad they are both alive and that Flores is in custody. I hope that the daughter is with people who love her and are caring for her.

I've always wanted to see Big Bend & still hope to get there someday. Still, it's not the environment I'd pick for an unprepared walkabout at any time of the year. 

[Howl]

16 minutes ago, hoipolloi said:

I've always wanted to see Big Bend & still hope to get there someday. Still, it's not the environment I'd pick for an unprepared walkabout at any time of the year. 

This is an absolutely accurate assessment!

I do hope you get to go there. Although not easy to get to, it's astounding country, especially if you love a rugged desert environment. 

I've spent very little time in Big Bend National Park, but really enjoy Big Bend Ranch State Park (The other side of nowhere!), another immense park just a few miles west of BBNP.  We go to BBRSP for the abundance of mountain biking, something that's limited to paved and unpaved roads in the national park.

What I find both ironic and sad is that Hector Flores wanted to live off the land in Mexico and apparently did some internet research, but had a seemingly unrealistic idea of what was involved and was desperately unprepared when actually confronted with a survival situation.  I'm just glad they survived.  I'd guess he has mental health issues, but who knows. Likely he'll never regain custody of his daughter, and really wish for the best for her. 

[hoipolloi]

5 hours ago, Howl said:

I do hope you get to go there. Although not easy to get to, it's astounding country, especially if you love a rugged desert environment. 

I have family in TX and ever since seeing their pictures of a trip to Big Bend I've wanted to see the park. Thought my chance had come a few years ago when I was planning a family visit -- they live in the DFW area -- but then realized that a "day trip" to Big Bend was not going to happen. Same with the idea of going down for the day to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to see the spring bird migration.

This is when I finally understood that Texas is REALLY big. I mean REALLY BIG. 

[Howl]

15 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

This is when I finally understood that Texas is REALLY big. I mean REALLY BIG. 

Yup, very large! Driving to Big Bend from Austin, I always think when we get to Fort Stockton after 5 hours of driving (where you leave the interstate highway and start heading south), we're getting close.   But it is still a solid HOUR to Alpine and another 90 miles from Alpine to Study Butte/Terlingua/Lajitas  The Fort Stockton WalMart is the last major grocery store before getting to the Big Bend area, so we always stock up there. 

Also semi mind blowing, the speed limit on parts of Interstate 10 is 85 mph. 

[PennySycamore]

One of my sons-in-law used to work for DISH in Spartanburg, SC.  He was told last year that DISH was terminating their SC operations and he'd have to transfer to Denver or El Paso to keep his job.  My daughter has a good job and had just gotten into the MLS program at USC with the tuition paid by the state and so they didn't really want to move.  My son-in-law has a sister who lives in DFW.  We figured out that Spartanburg was just as close to DFW as EL Paso was if not a bit closer.  Texas is HUGE!!  I would not mind going to Big Bend NP as long as I didn't see or come close to any poisonous snakes. tarantulas or scorpions.