UPDATE: Missing Missouri City woman located
MISSOURI CITY, Texas - UPDATE: The Missouri City Police Department said Aleja Candia was found at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. No other details were provided.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
Aleja Candia was last seen Sunday, October 22, according to her family. They say Candia is 29 years old, 5’1" tall, 100 pounds, and last seen wearing blue jeans and a black shirt.
They say Candia is a disabled Air Force veteran and was living in a group home she was referred to by the VA. That home is where Candia is believed to be last seen, in Missouri City, off New Tree Lane.
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"We're just begging for help because that's all we can do," said Tevera Hightower, her sister.
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She says while those involved say Aleja was last seen of heard from Sunday, her family didn’t find out until Thursday. She says they found out when a dump truck driver called from Candia’s phone, saying they had found her bag.
"Someone going to do a dump in a landfill seen her backpack, charged her phone just enough to see if they could get somebody, reached out to us and let us know they had her belongings," said Hightower.
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The driver is said to have found the backpack just outside the Lone Star Landfill off Beltway 8.
Hightower says all of Candia’s credit cards, phones, and IDs were in the backpack.
"All of her belongings are in that backpack; everyone knows a thief is a thief. If it was just a dollar, they’ll take it, they’re going to take the credit cards, cell phones," she said. "We have to get her home; she deserves to be safe. She's not just a number, she is loved."
FOX 26 spoke with the owner of the group home who wasn’t concrete on when exactly when she last saw Candia. She says she filed a missing person’s report with Missouri City police Thursday, the same day the family filed their report with Houston police.
The group homeowner and family say it’s not uncommon for Candia to wander away from the group home. But the family says she’s never been gone this long without contacting the family.
"We don’t know what to do. We're scared. We're scared. We don’t want to make this about us, but we need her home. We need her home."
If you see Candia, please call Houston police at 713-884-3131 or Missouri City Police at 281-403-8700. If you have information and want to remain anonymous, please call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.