GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — It’s been one year since Selena Garcia disappeared. Her sister, Zaidah, said she was last seen in a Lilburn home. Now, her family is left worrying without answers.
Melissa Marrero from Hispanics United Alliance shared their organization’s efforts to seek answers from law enforcement and bring the family closure.
“We know [Selena’s] story needs to be heard,” she said. “We know that Selena is not choosing to hide. Her sister knows this. She didn’t just choose to disappear.”
Gwinnett County Police said they have exhausted all leads, and need the public to help bring Selena back home.
“I understand if it’s three weeks and we don’t have information or anything, but now we’re talking about a year and there’s still no information,” Marrero added.
Selena was reported missing on October 23, 2022, from a home on Dickens Terrace in Lilburn. The police report states that Zaidah saw a message Selena got from a friend shortly after her disappearance.
In that message, Selena’s friend asks the 25-year-old if she felt safe, to which she replied, “I’d rather be with you.”
Marrero said Selena’s sister had last heard from her on the phone that day.
“Selena called her and said, ‘Hey I’m going out tonight with some friends.’ They were texting and after that, no one knows. [Zaida is] hurt. She’s confused. She feels let down.”
Gwinnett County Police Sergeant Michele Pihera said their agency does not believe a crime took place.
“At this point, it’s not considered a criminal investigation,” Sergeant Pihera said. “You can report somebody missing at any point in time. If they’ve been missing for 10 minutes or 3 weeks or even longer. Since there’s no crime associated with this, there’s no suspects.”
Zaidah has said it is unusual for her sister to disappear with no warning. She hopes the one year mark could bring answers. Marrero believes that with more coverage on Selena, the closer they could get to closure.
“What is the difference between Gabby Petito and Selena? That’s my question. Selena could be in danger, or even worse, because no one has heard from her. There’s no voice message. There’s no texts. There’s no phone calls. There’s no emails. There’s no type of information. No one has seen her, which is even worse,” Marrero said.
As police approach a year since her disappearance, they remind people that there is a reward on the table for information that could lead to Garcia’s safe return. Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta is offering $2,000.
“It’s not uncommon on missing persons cases when you have somebody who is acting out of the ordinary. In this case, the family says even though she was having some of her own personal problems, she was still making regular contact with her family so it’s important for them to make contact with her to make sure she’s okay,” Pihera said.
Garcia is approximately 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. She also has brown eyes and straight brown hair. She has various tattoos, such as a dark green marijuana plant on her hand, the number "503" on her right hand fingers and "Maria" on her wrist.
Anyone with information to share in this case is asked to please contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.