CQI Success Story: "Today, Justice was Served"

This letter was written to Child Quest International (CQI) by a left-behind family member.  Jennifer's sister was solicited by an online predator.  While many agencies just disregarded the case as another runaway, here is what CQI did for the victim and the family. 11 months later, justice has been served: 

September 12, 2011

Dear Marcia and Child Quest,

I want to send you a very big thank you. 11 months ago I had never heard of Child Quest [International]. I knew nothing of your organization. Never even imagined I would have to know or be involved with organizations for missing children. Children go missing every day, but to me that was something that happened to those people in the papers, people on the news. It wasn’t something that affected me. 

Then October 24, 2010 came. The day my sister’s abductor decided to take her. For the first 24 hours she was missing and labeled as a runaway.  I did not know who to contact or what the correct steps were.  All I knew is I needed to find my sister, and worked every possible angle possible. On Monday the 25th, my husband decided to search missing persons organizations on the Internet. We needed direction, and fast. 

That was when we found Child Quest. When we called other organizations for help, there reaction time and information was no where as quick and resourceful as [Child Quest]. You gave me names, numbers, websites, forms…everything I needed to get the ball rolling on my sisters case. Within 12 hours of speaking to all your contacts, the FBI had become involved and my sisters status was being changed as a “runaway” to an “endangered child.” 6 hours after my sisters label changed she was now the focus of an AMBER Alert. 

At 1:37 am on Tuesday October 26th, my sister became the focus of an AMBER Alert, and within 9 hours, she was found with her adult abductor in another state, hiding in a van at a dirt bag motel. 27 hours after my first contact with Marcia, my sister was found. I can not begin to explain how much you all at Child Quest have meant to me for the past year. You guys got the ball rolling and I am eternally grateful to you.
 

Today was my sisters abductors sentencing. I am so very pleased to tell you the out come.  Ivan Lopez was sentenced today to 84 months in Federal prison. He was also sentenced to LIFE probation. 

When I went into court this morning his defense attorney asked for 51 months and 2 yrs probation, the prosecution asked for 71 months and 20 years probation. However, his sentence was much more severe then even I could have hoped for.

 
It is still a very long road ahead in the recovery process. I pray one day my sister will be able to look back at this experience and understand the severity of what actually happened, but also be thankful that she didn’t become one of those more unfortunate statistics we all read about. 

I appreciate all you did. Every family who ends up with a child missing, deserves an organization like yours, helping them in their most dire time of need. People who go above and beyond to help those in need do not get enough proper recognition and thanks for their selfless acts. Today I want to THANK YOU just as I have thanked the FBI, the police and all the volunteers that helped me and my family when my sister was abducted.

Today, Justice was Served!!!

Thank you,

Jennifer