3 Kids Vanish, Mom Murdered; Dad Sought

Chicago Mother Had A Restraining Order Against The Father Of Two Of Her Children

(CBS/AP)  Three children whose mother was found dead with a plastic bag over her head are missing, and police want to question the father of two of the youngsters, authorities said Tuesday.

An Amber Alert has been issued for the three children and Benito Casanova, 32, who police describe as either the boyfriend or the husband of the dead woman, Sofia Garcia.

Court records show that Garcia, 30, had been granted an order of protection in February 2007 against Casanova that barred him from having contact with Garcia, her sisters or her children.

The order was valid until May 2009. But Salvador Leon, the landlord in the building where Garcia's body was found, told the Chicago Tribune in a story posted on its Web site Tuesday that Garcia and Casanova moved into the apartment in December.

In documents filed with the court, Garcia alleged Casanova had choked her and said he was "going to kill me because I did not want to be with him. He ALWAYS tells me that he is going to KILL me if I don't take him back, then kill himself."

The Amber Alert for 6-year-old Oscar Casanova, 7-year-old Karla Casanova and 11-year-old Fernando Casanova was issued Monday after Garcia's body was found. Police said Benito Casanova is the father of Fernando and Oscar.

The children were last seen Friday afternoon at their elementary school after classes let out, where police believe Casanova may have picked them up.

Casanova hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing. But police want to speak with him in regards to the children's disappearance as well as Garcia's death, which is being investigated as a homicide, said Chicago police spokeswoman JoAnn Taylor.

CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago reports that Garcia's sister arrived at the home to pick the children up for school Monday and found her in a closet with a plastic bag over her head. An autopsy Tuesday found she died of head and brain injuries caused by multiple blunt head trauma from an assault and the death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner's office.

Lorenza Valles, 40, lived upstairs from Garcia's apartment.

"She seemed like a good mom, worked hard for her kids," said Valles. Other neighbors said Garcia worked an overnight shift but was always home in time to take her children to school.

For Fernando, Karla and Oscar Casanova, Friday was apparently like any other day. The siblings went to school at Yates, then left for the day. But they haven't been seen in Chicago since.

Children, teachers and officials were distraught Tuesday at Yates Elementary as they prayed the three children would return safely.

Parents gave their children pep talks as they dropped them off for classes.

"I decided to talk to them and tell them that every parent is different - number one," said Grover Phillips, a father of students at the school. "Number two, they have parents that love them, and those kids will be found sooner or later."

"I knew the little kids; I knew the little boy; he always said, 'hi,' and 'bye;' talked," said Vanessa Aleman, a Yates mother. "They were nice kids."

"(Garcia) was seen in school Friday morning, she came for report card pickup day Thursday, and once again there was nothing out of the ordinary," said Yates Principal Harry Randell. "I want everybody to understand the children were not abducted from school."

"We don't know the person that did this to the parent or did take the children," added parent Anna Troch. "I mean, it could be anybody."

Benito Casanova was described as about 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Oscar Casanova, 6, is 4 feet tall and weighs 60 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes; Karla Casanova, 7, is 4-feet 1-inch inch tall and weighs 75 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes; and Fernando Casanova, 11, is 5 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Authorities said Casanova and the three children may be traveling in a 2002 silver or gray Dodge Dakota, with Illinois license plate 86196HB. One plate is missing from the car, officials said. Taylor said it's unclear in what direction they could be traveling.

[bequialife]

There are so many murders amongst couples (married,boyfriend/girlfriend) and kids involved. Can''t anyone break-up peacefully anymore?? Are we coming to an age where no one wants to get in a relationship anymore? Geez, what is a goin on?

[gmond]

Too bad all she had was a piece of paper instead of a wooden bat.

[closethippy1]

There are so many murders amongst couples (married,boyfriend/girlfriend) and kids involved. Can''''t anyone break-up peacefully anymore?? Are we coming to an age where no one wants to get in a relationship anymore? Geez, what is a goin on?
Posted by bequialife at 11:49 PM : Apr 22, 2008

It seems to me we now live in a society where we tend to spoil ourselves a bit too much making it more and more difficult for many to learn how to deal with stress.
I''m afraid we''ve forgotten how to properly deal with stressful situations and now instead of being mature about many people will just go nuts.
I wonder if that''s also the reason behind the increase in bullying among kids as seen in Lakeland, Florida a few weeks ago.

[katia327]

I don''t think this was about stress. This was about a guy who was no doubt an evil control freak, threatened his wife/girlfriend, couldn''t get his way, killed her, and took the kids. Let''s just hope they find them and they are ok.

We can attribute many things to stress in our lives, but killing spouses/significant others/children, is just plain EVIL.

[poochie_girl]

nutsie11 Have you considered mental help? This story is about children being abducted, not behaving badly. Are people not the same...no matter what color. Are you teaching your children about judging people by their skin color? Did the children on the playground happend to be of color? Hummm....

[prinzowhales]

Those restraining orders really work, don''t they? Next time--oh, tee-hee-hee, there won''t be a next time for anyone silly enough to trust in government for their personal protection--try some magic beans and save the lawyers fees...or a .45 and get something for your money and be alive to tell about it!

[beehive21-2009]

The city with hand guns Banned ? She may have had a chance, had She had one .

[libsrweak]

"Those restraining orders really work, don''''t they?......"

Posted by Prinzowhales at 10:34 AM : Apr 23, 2008
+ report abuse

**********

that is what happens when we bog down everything with LAWS..LAWS..LAWS..and then NOT ENFORCING IT..that restrainer order, JUST LIKE GUN CONTROL.. is not going to work..when morons like those liberals in chicago DEMAND more laws after more laws then REFUSE to enforce BECAUSE they are worried they might offend the criminal....

[shawnp1968]

What good is a restraining order if you move into an apartment with the guy 10 months later??? Son''t just blame the courts in this one...some of the blame can go to the mother of the children for going against her own restraining order!

[peach652]

"The city with hand guns Banned ? She may have had a chance, had She had one."

She and her three young children were living with the guy, and YOU propose adding a GUN to the mix???!!! You''re an idiot!

[slim1h2o]

"Casanova hasn''t been charged with any wrongdoing"

Well,,lets check the facts, she had a restraining order on him, she''s dead, he''s gone, and the kids are gone.

Yet,,he''s not a suspect? Ya, Right!!
He''s guilty as sin!

[bequialife]

to: closethippy - I seems sad that we have come to this kind of violence. Our grandparents would be ashamed.

[godseyesore-2009]

Look at the picture on the wall. Nice christian boy...like all hypocritical christians.

[duskay13]

Look at the picture on the wall. Nice christian boy...like all hypocritical christians.


Posted by godseyesore at 04:37 PM : Apr 23, 2008

Are you just trying to anger Christians? You must have been misinformed what it is to be a Christian. We are not hypocrites. To correct what you have been taught a Christian will be the FIRST to admit sin. We are not saying we are Christians...therefore we are perfect. Anyway, picture could have been taken anywhere. Have a blessed day.

[minnick8-2009]

Persons, as ttinsley, who intellectualize having children or not having children are obviously not the people who are out pro-creating. It is unfortunate that the societal attitudes about having s e x are that everyone is entitled and if, oops, you make a mistake, just get rid of the baby or the first wife or the second or go bi s e x u a l or ****. Maybe the pendulum will swing back to where it might actually become necessary and accepted to practice morality. That is a novel idea, it could cut down on unwanted pregnancies, aids, STD''s, divorces, child custody battles, bitterness over child support payments and alimony payments, killings of wives and lovers by some men who never wanted them in the first place and a number of other things I can''t even think of right now. Of course, a common practice of decency and basic moral standards could never happen. When reading these blogs I learn that there is no God, and there is no accounting for conducting one''s life since we all die and then there is nothing, and all Christians are hypocrates.

Why do any of us exist at all?

[newsterl]

Contact us with any details. www.the-SPAMMER-virus.com

Posted by Danahart3

There''s that spammer''s VIRUS site url again, reporting as spam

[newsterl]

This is a prime example, of why having children is not inherently the best choice for all people. It is also a testament to the fact that procreation is not necessarily morally superior to choosing to NOT have any children. It isn''''t anti-child. It is pro-child to say that not everyone has the ability to have children. Also, raising children is an important task. It is not a meaningless job, that one has to do. If it were genuinely a sacred task, then you wouldn''''t see all these awful people having children that they hate, because they never wanted them to begin with. This is also an excellent example of why I am pro-choice, even though I don''''t think abortion is 100% right. I think we often must choose between gray areas of morality in life. And yes, having an EARLY abortion is better than abusing your child and killing them later in life. Having children you don''''t want doesn''''t make you superior or more moral than anybody else. What''''s more choosing homosexuality over a hetero procreating lifestyle (even though I know that less and less this determines procreation) is not any worse or any better.

Posted by ttinsly


Exactly right

[newsterl]

Look at the picture on the wall. Nice christian boy...like all hypocritical christians.


Posted by godseyesore


Yeah, just like em!
With a 50% divorce rate the right wing xtians are in that group too.

[newsterl]

ne plate is missing from the car, officials said. Taylor said it''s unclear in what direction they could be traveling."

I''d say according to the right wingers they are heading towards hel1 about now!