Source: US FBI
Karla (Karlita) Carolina Rodriguez had just turned 7 years old when she disappeared on October 20, 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Karla was missing from school that day and was last seen in the evening by a friend in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, she has never returned home.
Karla is one of dozens of missing children the FBI is working to bring home. Every year on National Missing Children’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to investigating these cases and finding children who have been reported kidnapped or missing, and we continue to encourage parents, caregivers, and others to make child safety a priority.
“We as law enforcement never forget these children and never stop looking for them until we find out what happened to them and bring those responsible for doing any harm to them to justice,” said Todd Tumbleson, a criminal investigator at the Nevada Attorney General’s Office and an FBI Task Force officer on the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force who has been investigating Karla’s case. “They and their families deserve nothing less than this.”
The FBI’s Kidnappings and Missing Persons list includes entries for Karla and other missing children. Please take a moment to review the list—and if you recognize anyone or have any information in a case, contact the FBI or local law enforcement or submit a tip online. No detail is too small.
“The public often knows something they think is not important but which we in law enforcement find very important,” said Tumbleson. “Sometimes when people hear about the case, it brings back memories of things a suspect said or things the witness saw that might help to locate a child. Any information the public has should be shared with those investigating the case.”