Nearly two weeks after Crown Point resident Michael Hernandez disappeared, his family is asking for additional help in the search from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday, Hernandez’s parents — Tiffany and Lorenzo Longoria — and two friends presented a petition bearing more than 6,800 signatures and requested that the FBI to take the lead in the investigation. Lorenzo Longoria said they spoke to an agent for nearly 30 minutes.
“He said that it’s policy to run it up the chain, so it’s pending at this time,” Lorenzo Longoria said. “He advised us to talk with the Indiana State Police as well, so we’ll be contacting them.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department has been investigating the case since Hernandez, 23, was reported missing on May 2 — the day after he was last seen leaving the Safe House Bar & Grill on Crown Point’s Courthouse Square.
With the assistance of law enforcement, search teams have combed through farm fields and neighborhoods in the Roselawn and DeMotte area over the past week — after a cell phone trace picked up Hernandez’s phone early last week — but no leads have presented themselves.
Longoria said that the family isn’t disappointed with the police’s response so far, but he believes it’s smart to involve more agencies.
“I think we need more help — all hands on deck,” Longoria said. “We need to broaden our horizons.”
Tiffany Longoria said the family is urging Lake County to request that the FBI get involved on the case. She was told that a petition could assist in getting them to take on the case.
According to its website, the FBI does handle kidnapping and missing persons cases and lists photos of missing people at http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/.
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Lorenzo Longoria said after a press conference Wednesday evening in Crown Point they met with Indiana State Police today as well and a trooper said they would run the request up the chain.
It’s been a time of ups and downs for family and friends, but Tiffany Longoria said the search has served to bring people together.
“One moment I have a lot of hope, and the next, hope feels lost,” Lorenzo Longoria said. “But we have a great support team.”
The family plans to hold a candlelight vigil for Hernandez around sunset Friday, but an exact place and time has yet to be determined. Tiffany Longoria said more detailed information will be released on the Please Find Mike Hernandez Facebook page soon.
“Those last few seconds Mike spoke to me,” Tiffany Longoria said “That’s what I’m hanging onto. But it’s been rough.
“You have to live your life like there’s no tomorrow. Tell your kids that you love them.”
An FBI spokesman didn’t detail the parameters that need to exist for the agency to get involved in a missing persons case, instead directing all calls to the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.
Lake County Sheriff John Buncich did not return a message by press time on the status of the investigation or whether they plan to ask the FBI for assistance.