More than 5,700 Native American women are reported missing in the United States each year. That’s according to the National Crime Information Center.
A North Texas family knows that pain all too well. November is Native American Heritage Month, and CBS News Texas is bringing you the story of an Indigenous teen who hasn’t been seen in almost a year.
The holidays are usually a time of happiness, but for Samantha Perez, it’s a sad reminder of who she’s missing.
“This photo in particular is actually the very last photo that I took of her,” Perez said. “This was taken just hours before we believe she left the home.”
Perez’s daughter, Sara Martinez, was a high school junior at the time.
“This is Sara’s room,” Perez said. “It’s exactly as she left it.”
Martinez went to bed just after midnight on December 28th, 2024. The horror of that night still rings fresh for her mom.
“I walked in her room. The window was open, and Sara wasn’t in the home anymore,” Perez said.
The teen who loves music, especially singer Selena, disappeared without a trace.
“Her phone went straight to voicemail. I tried to check her location, and it said her location went off at 3:27 a.m. That’s when I knew that she was gone, and we immediately called 911 after that,” Perez said.
The family’s home security video shows a man pacing outside moments before Martinez disappeared.
“We believe that she was persuaded to go with this person, and we don’t know if that turned into a dangerous situation,” Perez said.
A Fort Worth Police spokesperson isn’t sure if the man in the video is involved in Martinez’s disappearance. They’re considering her an adult runaway, but the family has their own fears about what happened.
“They are leaving it up to myself and our private detectives to find any kind of evidence that proves she could be trafficked,” Perez said.
Jodi Voice Yellowfish is chair of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Texas Rematriate and believes missing Native American women often don’t get the same attention from police and the media as white women.
The Sovereign Bodies Institute reports that 62% of MMIW cases are never included in missing person databases. Martinez is Hispanic and Native American. She’s a member of the Navajo Nation.
MMIW Texas Rematriate is working with the teen’s family, who is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
“We’re just still hoping that somebody recognizes her,” Perez said.
“We’ve tried to be there for Samantha and her family, and we want to pick up any of that extra stress. We offer as much as we can, and sometimes that’s someone to talk to or someone to accompany you with something,” Yellowfish said. “We help with flyer distribution and are there for the family.”
Martinez’s room remains a place of solace and a time capsule just as she left it.
“I just feel close to her whenever I’m here,” Perez said.
Perez remains hopeful she’ll see her daughter in person soon.
“We have faith that we’re going to get that tip that we need,” Perez said. “We have faith that we will see Sara again.”
Anyone with information should contact Fort Worth Police at 817-392-4222 or the private investigator, Blackfish Intelligence, at 1-800-403-8024.
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