SPOKE WITH SOME FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT LOST HOPE. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND HELP US FIND OUR GRANDCHILDREN. A PLEA FOR HELP. AS A SACRAMENTO FAMILY CONTINUES TO SEARCH FOR THEIR MISSING LOVED ONES WITH NO NEW INFORMATION AND NO CLOSURE, THINGS ARE JUST. IT’S A LOT QUIETER NOW AND. WE JUST MISS HIM A LOT. YEAH, OUR LIFE IS NOT AS FULL AS IT WAS, YOU KNOW? IT JUST SEEMS MORE EMPTY WITHOUT THEM. FIVE YEAR OLD ATHENA AND THREE YEAR OLD MATEO LEE WERE LAST SEEN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, SHORTLY BEFORE THEIR MOTHER, 28 YEAR OLD ANGELICA BRAVO, WAS FOUND DEAD INSIDE A NORTH SACRAMENTO HOME, LEAVING INVESTIGATORS WITH A COMPLEX AND ONGOING CASE. WHAT WAS COMPLEX ABOUT THIS CASE WAS WE WERE WAITING ON A CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH FOR ANGELICA BRAVO. SO WHEN CAMERON WAS MISSING, THE KIDS WERE MISSING US. WE DIDN’T HAVE A MURDER WARRANT FOR CAMERON AT THAT TIME. WHAT WAS DIFFICULT WAS HE’S ALSO THE CUSTODIAL PARENT FOR THE KIDS. SO WE DIDN’T HAVE A KIDNAPING CASE AT THAT POINT. INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE ATHENA AND MATEO ARE WITH THEIR FATHER, CAMERON LEE, WHO POLICE SAY IS A SUSPECT IN ANGELICA’S KILLING. WITH THE CHILDREN’S WHEREABOUTS STILL UNKNOWN. THE FBI REMAINS INVOLVED. WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THE CHILDREN ARE, SO OUR REACH IS GLOBAL. AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO BRING THEM BACK WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. AND AS TIME PASSES, WITHOUT ANY NEW DETAILS, WE THINK ABOUT THEM EVERY DAY. WE PRAY FOR THEM EVERY DAY. JUST TWO DAYS AWAY FROM MATEO’S FOURTH BIRTHDAY, THE FAMILY SAYS THEY’RE HOLDING ON TO MEMORIES. WE USED TO CALL. WE CALL ATHENA THINKING THAT WAS HER NICKNAME. AND MATEO, HE HAD A COUPLE, BUT TITO WAS ONE OF THEM. AND WHILE THERE ARE STILL NO ANSWERS, THE FAMILY IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN. STAYING ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HOPING SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE MAY RECOGNIZE THE CHILDREN AND SPEAK UP. I JUST REALLY HOPE THAT IF ANYBODY DOES SEE, EVEN IF THEY THINK THEY’RE LIKE, OH, THAT, THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT COULD BE THEM, YOU KNOW, JUST REPORT IT. MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA 3 NEWS. AT THIS TIME, LEE FACES CHARGES FOR MURDER AND POSSESSION OF AN ASSAULT STYLE WEAPON. A FEDERAL ARREST WARRANT HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED FOR UNLAWFUL FLIGHT TO AVOID PROSECUTION. THE FBI IS OFFERING A REWARD OF UP TO $25,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO HIS ARREST, AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL $25,000
Sacramento family seeks help in finding missing children Athena and Mateo Lee
Updated: 6:19 PM PST Jan 28, 2026
Ahead of National Missing Persons Day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento Police Department are intensifying efforts to find 5-year-old Athena Lee and 3-year-old Mateo Lee, who have been missing for more than a year and a half, as their family continues to hope for their safe return.”Keep your eyes open and help us find our grandchildren,” said Dawn Bodea, a family member, as the Sacramento family continues to search for their missing loved ones without any new information or closure.”Things are just a lot quieter now. We just miss them a lot. Our life is not as full; it seems more empty without them,” Bodea said.Athena and Mateo were last seen shortly before their mother, 28-year-old Angelica Bravo, was found dead inside her ex-boyfriend’s home in North Sacramento, leaving investigators with a complex and ongoing case.”What was complex about this case was we were waiting on a cause and manner of death for Angelica Bravo, so when Camron was missing, the kids were missing, we didn’t have a murder warrant for Camron at that time. What was difficult was he’s also the custodial parent for the kids, so we didn’t have a kidnapping case at that point,” said Anthony Gamble of the Sacramento Police.Investigators believe Athena and Mateo are with their father, Camron Lee, who police say is the suspect in Angelica’s killing. With the children’s whereabouts still unknown, the FBI remains involved.”We don’t know where the children are, so our reach is global, and certainly we want to bring them back where they may be,” said Gina Swankie of the FBI. “These children are changing rapidly. They may not even remember what happened that day, so they may be going about their everyday day-to-day lives.”As time passes without any new details, Bodea said, “We think about them every day, we pray for them every day.”Just two days away from Mateo’s fourth birthday, the family is holding on to memories.Despite the lack of answers, the family is staying active on social media, hoping someone, somewhere, may recognize the children and speak up. “I just really hope that if anybody does see—even if they think—that looks like it could be them, you know, just report it,” Bodea said.At this time, Camron Lee faces charges for murder and possession of an assault weapon. A federal arrest warrant has also been issued for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest, as well as an additional $25,000 for information that leads to the safe recovery of Athena and Mateo.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Ahead of National Missing Persons Day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento Police Department are intensifying efforts to find 5-year-old Athena Lee and 3-year-old Mateo Lee, who have been missing for more than a year and a half, as their family continues to hope for their safe return.
“Keep your eyes open and help us find our grandchildren,” said Dawn Bodea, a family member, as the Sacramento family continues to search for their missing loved ones without any new information or closure.
“Things are just a lot quieter now. We just miss them a lot. Our life is not as full; it seems more empty without them,” Bodea said.
Athena and Mateo were last seen shortly before their mother, 28-year-old Angelica Bravo, was found dead inside her ex-boyfriend’s home in North Sacramento, leaving investigators with a complex and ongoing case.
“What was complex about this case was we were waiting on a cause and manner of death for Angelica Bravo, so when Camron was missing, the kids were missing, we didn’t have a murder warrant for Camron at that time. What was difficult was he’s also the custodial parent for the kids, so we didn’t have a kidnapping case at that point,” said Anthony Gamble of the Sacramento Police.
Investigators believe Athena and Mateo are with their father, Camron Lee, who police say is the suspect in Angelica’s killing. With the children’s whereabouts still unknown, the FBI remains involved.
“We don’t know where the children are, so our reach is global, and certainly we want to bring them back where they may be,” said Gina Swankie of the FBI. “These children are changing rapidly. They may not even remember what happened that day, so they may be going about their everyday day-to-day lives.”
As time passes without any new details, Bodea said, “We think about them every day, we pray for them every day.”
Just two days away from Mateo’s fourth birthday, the family is holding on to memories.
Despite the lack of answers, the family is staying active on social media, hoping someone, somewhere, may recognize the children and speak up.
“I just really hope that if anybody does see—even if they think—that looks like it could be them, you know, just report it,” Bodea said.
At this time, Camron Lee faces charges for murder and possession of an assault weapon. A federal arrest warrant has also been issued for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest, as well as an additional $25,000 for information that leads to the safe recovery of Athena and Mateo.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel