Suspect Car Possibly Carrying Teen from Amber Alert Found Near Mexican Border

UPDATE: Authorities looking for a 15-year-old girl who vanished with two murder suspects have found their car in San Diego near the Mexican border.

  

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says Friday that the empty BMW sedan was found in the San Ysidro area, which is a major border crossing.

  

The hunt for the car and for 15-year-old Alora Benitez of Redondo Beach began Wednesday.

  

Authorities say she's believed to be with her mother and a man who are considered suspects in the killing of a man in Carson.

  

The body of 32-year-old Jeffery Appel was found Tuesday in the front seat of a parked Audi in the Los Angeles suburb.

  

There's no word on the cause of his death or the motive.

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UPDATE: The Amber Alert has been canceled.


An AMBER Alert is issued in Nevada for a 15-year-old Hispanic girl last seen in Redondo Beach, California. Alora Benitez was last seen with her mother and a man in a white 2013 BMW sedan with Nevada license plate 'MARIMAR.'

Authorities say Benitez’ mother and the man are wanted in a murder investigation of another man who was found dead in a white Audi in the city of Carson, California on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.

Authorities say the couple are considered armed and dangerous.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says her mother Maricela Mercado is 40 years old. She is 5'3", 130 pounds, Hispanic, with brown hair and brown eyes. 

The man is 39-year-old Roman Cerratos, who is also Hispanic. He is 6'1" and weighs 210 pounds, has a bald head and brown eyes.  

Their direction of travel is currently unknown.

Alora Benitez is described as 5’2”, 100 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. There is no immediate description of clothing. 

Her family is concerned for her safety.

The Los Angeles County Homicide Bureau says if you see them, call 911 and alert local police or sheriff’s officials.

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