News articles at the Tracy Press.
Tracy Crime Stoppers and the FBI have offered a $2,000 reward for information that leads to finding Sandra.
Anyone who has information is asked to call the Tracy Police department at (209) 831-4550.
Sandra is 4 feet tall and weighs 45 pounds. She has long, brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a "Hello Kitty" T-shirt and black leggings.
Police say there is no evidence of abduction or foul play, which is why it is still considered a missing persons case — and thus, doesn’t fit the criteria for an Amber Alert.
March 30 '09 UPDATE - Updated photo from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Update April 1 '09 - KCRA.com Updated news article and photo gallery of Sandra Cantu.
Update April 2 '09 - Twitter site Search for Sandra
Update April 3 '09 - Sacramento's FOX40 station, Search for Sandra site:
A $10,000 reward is being offered by local bounty hunter Leonard Padilla for the safe return of Sandra Cantu. Padilla has extended his offer to Sunday evening (April 4 '09). Padilla can be reached at (916) 558-6915.
A $26,000 reward is being offered by the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation for the safe return of Sandra Cantu. For donation information, contact the Sund/Carrington Foundation at (916) 567-1059 or Sgt. Tony Sheneman with the Tracy police department at (209) 612-6144.
A citizen search will be organized Saturday morning at the Tracy firehouse located at 7700 Linne Road.
UPDATE - April 6 '09: - Search for Sandra
TRACY - The search for 8-year-old Sandra Cantu has come to a grim end.
Tracy police confirm a black luggage that surfaced during an irrigation canal drain earlier this morning contained the body of the missing Tracy girl. Police said in an evening press conference that the girl was identified "by the type of clothing she was wearing."
Authorities will now turn their attention to finding the person or people responsible for the death of Sandra Cantu.
Sandra had been missing since Friday, March 27th, when she disappeared while returning home from a friend's house at the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park.
Authorities have not made any arrests in the case, although their investigation has focused on several persons of interest.
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My condolences to Sandra Cantu's parents, relatives, friends, and to all the citizens who assisted in the search for Sandra, or offered prayers for her safe return.
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Update: April 11 '09 - ABC News -
(Please follow the link for the complete article.)
Calif. Sunday School Teacher Booked in Child Death
Calif. police arrest Sunday school teacher in kidnapping, killing of girl found in suitcase
TRACY, Calif. April 11, 2009 (AP)
A California Sunday school teacher was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and killing an 8-year-old girl whose body was stuffed into a suitcase found in an irrigation pond.
Melissa Huckaby, 28, was arrested at 11:55 p.m., about five hours after she drove herself to the station at the request of police, according to Tracy Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman.
"She gave enough information to us during the course of the interview that probable cause was there to arrest her," said Sheneman...
