Search begins for missing mother last seen in northeast Houston

HOUSTON – Texas Equusearch joined the search on Sunday for a missing woman who was last seen Thursday in northeast Houston.

Maria Jimenez-Rodriguez, 29, was last seen in the 6900 block of Texarkana Street.

Several volunteers with Texas Equusearch brought stacks of flyers with them as they frantically searched the area around N. Wayside and Wallisville Rd., on foot and by ATV.

“At this point and time, we feel she certainly is in danger, missing,” said Tim Miller, founder of Texas Equusearch. “Now, we don’t have any evidence of foul play, but we certainly don’t have any evidence that she left on her own.”

“Time is all we have but it’s running short,” said Samuel Milledge, the family’s spokesman and Jimenez-Rodriquez’s boss.

Samuel Milledge said Rodriquez never showed up to work at his law firm Thursday morning but sent text messages saying she was running late and then another saying she was turning back to get her daughter from the babysitter.

“There was a text message reported to be from her, but it didn’t seem like her,” Milledge said. “And again, in doing further investigation, we checked with the babysitter. The babysitter said she never called and told Maria to come pick her daughter up.”

Jimenez-Rodriguez's father, brother and sister are worried and are hoping for her safe return because she has a 3-year-old daughter. Her sister, Gloria Jimenez, said the child keeps asking for her mother.

“She keeps asking,” Jimenez said. “What can I tell a little girl? A 3-year-old? She wants her mother back.”

Jiminez-Rodriguez’s truck was found about 3 miles away from where she was last seen. Members of her family said police dusted it for fingerprints. The family has also placed flyers around the area where she disappeared. They suspect someone knows where she is located.

“Just bring her back," her sister said. “That’s all we’re asking for. Just bring her back."

Jiminez-Rodriguez is described as being about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 115 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair.

She was last seen wearing a dressy T-shirt, pastel-colored slacks, medium-brown-colored ballet slipper shoes, a pink Apple watch and was also carrying a tan purse.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact HPD’s Missing Person’s Unit at 832-394-1840, the Houston Police Department Patrol at 713-884-3131 or Texas EquuSearch at 281-309-9500.