Apr 22, 2008 5:27 pm US/Central
Mom Of Kids In Amber Alert Had Order Of Protection
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Sofia Garcia was found murdered April 21, 2008 in her Humboldt Park apartment. An Amber Alert was called for her three children shortly after she was found.
CBS
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Police believe Benito Casanova kidnapped three children -- two of them his own -- after killing their mother.
Chicago Police
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From left to right: Fernando Casanova, 11; Karla Casanova, 7; Oscar Casanova 6
CBS
A Chicago woman found dead in her apartment had an order of protection against a man police are looking for in connection with her children's disappearance.
An Amber Alert has been issued for 32-year-old Benito Casanova and the three children.
Police say Casanova was either the boyfriend or the husband of the dead woman, Sofia Garcia. He was the father of two of the youngsters.
In documents filed with the court, Garcia alleged Casanova had choked her. She says he told her if she didn't take him back, he was going to kill her and kill himself.
Casanova hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing.
But Chicago police spokeswoman JoAnn Taylor says authorities want to speak with him about the children's disappearance as well as Garcia's death.
The children were last seen when their mother picked them up from Richard Yates Public School, at 1839 N. Richmond St., and have been missing since Friday; their mother was found murdered Monday.
Garcia's sister, who had gone to the home to pick the children up for school Monday, reportedly found her in a closet with a plastic bag over her head. An autopsy Tuesday found she died of head and brain injuries caused by multiple blunt head trauma from an assault and the death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner's office.
For Fernando, Karla and Oscar Casanova, Friday was apparently like any other day. The siblings went to school at Yates, then left for the day. But they haven't been seen in Chicago since.
Children, teachers and officials were distraught Tuesday at Yates Elementary as they prayed the three children would return safely.
Parents gave their children pep talks as they dropped them off for classes.
"I decided to talk to them and tell them that every parent is different – number one," said Grover Phillips, a father of students at the school. "Number two, they have parents that love them, and those kids will be found sooner or later."
"I knew the little kids; I knew the little boy; he always said, 'hi,' and 'bye;' talked," said Vanessa Aleman, a Yates mother. "They were nice kids."
Oscar Casanova, 6, is 4 feet tall and weighs 60 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes; Karla Casanova, 7, is 4-feet 1-inch inch tall and weighs 75 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes; and Fernando Casanova, 11, is 5 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Chicago police say Benito Casanova abducted them on April 18, at 2:30 p.m. He is described as 6-feet 1-inch tall, 230 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
He's believed to be driving a 2002 silver/gray Dodge Dakota with Illinois license plate 86196HB.
One of the license plates on the car is missing.
"(Garcia) was seen in school Friday morning, she came for report card pickup day Thursday, and once again there was nothing out of the ordinary," said Yates Principal Harry Randell. "I want everybody to understand the children were not abducted from school."
"We don't know the person that did this to the parent or did take the children," added parent Anna Troch. "I mean, it could be anybody."
Grand Central Area detectives are investigating. Anyone with any information should call 911.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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