Search continues for man who cops say abused woman and then kidnapped their daughter
_fitted.jpeg "Diego Cedillo-Hernandez")
A day after a 2-year-old was taken from her mother and later found safe in an abandoned car, police were still searching for the girl’s estranged father.
“He is still at large,” said Homestead Sgt. Fernando Morales. “We are telling the public to not approach him and to call police.”
The girl’s mom told police Diego Cedillo-Hernandez, 23, raped her Thursday, then threatened to kill her family before taking their 2-year-old and leaving in her car.
Thursday afternoon, the department issued an Amber Alert for the child, Jesmine Cedillo-Ramirez. By the evening, police said she had been found safe inside the abandoned car.
Cedillo-Hernandez, however, was nowhere to be found.
Law enforcement sources said Cedillo-Hernandez and the girl’s mom have been involved in some type of relationship since 2016.
On Thursday, the woman told police that she was pregnant and Cedillo-Hernandez had assaulted her Sunday, causing her to have a miscarriage. On Thursday, Cedillo-Hernandez returned to her home and raped her, police said. Her daughter was gone when she woke up.
Morales said Cedillo-Hernandez is facing at minimum a domestic battery charge in the incident, which took place near North Krome Avenue and Northeast Ninth Street. No charges have been filed.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Homestead Police Department at 305-247-1535.
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 7:35 PM.
