May 12, 2007 9:33 am US/Central
Volunteers Head Out In Search Of Lisa Stebic
No Sign Of Plainfield Mother Of 2 Since April 30
CBS 2's Mai Martinez contributed to this report.
PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―
The search for Lisa Stebic continues Saturday morning, with volunteers combing water areas, retention ponds, and trails near the home of the Plainfield mother of two.
As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, Plainfield police say the searches are not based on any specific information. Instead, they are part of the overall investigation into what happened to Stebic, who has been missing since April 30.
More than 100 professional rescue workers and more than 200 community volunteers were out on Saturday morning, searching a 4 square mile radius from Stebic's home.
Police said professional search teams will focus on harder terrain, while community volunteers will search farmlands and residential areas.
On Friday, divers and land searchers scoured Stebic's Plainfield neighborhood looking for any sign of her.
They were looking for, "any type of clothing, possible purses, cell phones – anything out of the ordinary," said Plainfield Fire Department Deputy Chief Jon Stratton.
Out of consideration for the Stebic's two children, the massive searches were stopped when school hours ended.
"Obviously, we're here to support the family and try to find Lisa, and I think it would be kind of traumatic for them to have to sit out there and see all this emergency equipment outside their window," said Plainfield police Chief Don Bennett, "so we wanted to do it during the time they were in school."
The search Friday did not result in any sign of Lisa Stebic. But her family members remain optimistic.
"I suppose that's good news," said cousin Mark Greenberg. "The hope is that Lisa is still out there and can come home healthy and sound to her family."
Stebic's two young children are facing their first Mother's Day without their mother.
"You just can't even comprehend how that would feel to a child," said cousin Melanie Greenberg.
In addition to the searches being conducted on Saturday, volunteers will also be tying "Find Lisa Stebic" pictures to carnations, which they plan to hand out to Mother's Day diners on Sunday.
They are hoping the flowers will help spread the word of their efforts to find Stebic. They have called the effort "Bring Lisa Home for Mother's Day."
At Lincoln Elementary School in Plainfield, where Stebic worked in the food service program, students have had access to social workers and counselors throughout the last week. Meanwhile at Walkers Grove Elementary and Heritage Grove Middle School, where the two Stebic children attend, staff were told to provide age-appropriate guidance and answer questions, the Joliet Herald News reported.
Lisa Stebic was last seen by her husband, Craig Stebic, after she said she was leaving to work out. There has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards since then.
(CBS 2, the Naperville Sun and the Aurora Beacon-News are news partners covering stories in the western suburbs of Chicago.)
