The father of a missing woman is urging anyone in southwest Houston to come forward, saying time is critical as the search enters its second week.
The father of Sydney Marquez is urging the public to come forward with any information as the search for his missing daughter reaches nearly two weeks, saying the family is running out of time and is desperate for answers.
It’s been 12 days since the 24-year-old was last seen in southwest Houston. Her parents and three sisters spoke publicly this week, calling the ordeal a “nightmare before Christmas” and asking anyone who may have seen her to contact authorities, regardless of immigration status.
“If you see my daughter, if she’s endangered. Please don’t stay quiet,” her father, Raul Marquez, said. “If you see something, if you know something, please say something. I miss my daughter. She needs to come home.”
Marquez said his daughter was last seen in a diverse area of southwest Houston and acknowledged that some people may be hesitant to reach out to police.
“They may be scared to reach out because of their immigration status. But if you see something, if you know something, please say something,” he said.
According to the Houston Police Department, Sydney Marquez was last seen near the 9100 block of Bellaire Boulevard, close to Ranchester Road. Search teams say some of the strongest leads so far have come from a nearby shopping center in the Asiatown neighborhood, where volunteers have been canvassing businesses for surveillance video.
KHOU 11 has obtained surveillance footage from the area that shows Marquez walking northbound along the sidewalk on Ranchester Road on the night of Dec. 11. Tim Miller with Texas EquuSearch said the video does not indicate she was in distress.
“It didn’t look like she was in distress, like a normal walk, not running, not staggering, it certainly appeared to be a normal, normal walk,” Miller said.
Miller said search efforts in the immediate area have now been exhausted and teams are continuing to move forward.
“We’re back to square one and again it’s process of elimination, this area is now eliminated, so we have to keep moving forward,” he said.
Family members said Marquez struggles with mental health challenges and was off her medication at the time she disappeared. Her father said she has wandered off alone before. On the night she went missing, he said she was visiting friends in Houston and was able to sneak away in a friend’s car. He said she was gone for several hours before leaving the vehicle running in a parking lot with her belongings inside and walking off alone.
Marquez, a recent graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in neuroscience, lives in El Paso and was visiting Houston at the time of her disappearance.
Miller said at least one friend was questioned by investigators and cleared of any involvement.
“He was 100 percent cooperating and the father and him actually went to HPD and really questioned him and everything, I think they did everything that was necessary to do,” Miller said.
The family said they have spent the past week in Houston, going door to door searching for answers. They said they must temporarily leave the city to be with relatives in Dallas for the holidays, but plan to return to continue the search.
“I’m torn because leaving Houston is like leaving my daughter, and I don’t want to give up, and that’s why we need support from the community,” Raul Marquez said.
Police said the case remains an active, ongoing investigation. Officers also followed up on a tip that Marquez had been seen near Harwin Drive and Gessner Road, but investigators said that lead did not pan out.
Anyone who recognizes Marquez or may have information is urged to contact the Houston police or Texas EquuSearch immediately.
