Sheriff issues statement as search efforts continue for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta sheriff is speaking out as more people are joining the search for a 12-year-old girl who vanished from her home.

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It’s been more than a week since anyone has seen 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez.

On Monday morning, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch shared the following statement:

“As your Sheriff, I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the community as the men and women of the Hall County Sheriff’s Office continue their investigation to locate Maria Gomez-Perez. Our community as a whole has faced numerous challenges over the years, but our resilience and determination always carry us through. Our top priority remains the safe return of Maria. I assure you that we are leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit of a successful outcome. Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff’s office immediately. First, please keep Maria in your thoughts and prayers. Second, please do the same for our men and women as they work to bring her home.”

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The sheriff’s office announced Friday that anonymous citizens are offering $20,000 as a reward in Gomez-Perez’s disappearance.

“We hope this reward money prompts someone who knows something about Maria’s whereabouts to come forward,” said Couch. “Our investigators and investigative partners are following every lead they get, but so far, none of those leads have led us to Maria.”

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t released many details about what led up to her disappearance, but investigators say she was last seen at her home near Atlanta Highway and West Side Drive on Wednesday, May 29 around 10 a.m.

They say there is no evidence that she was abducted, taken against her will or that there was any foul play.

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Gomez-Perez is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighing between 100 to 110 pounds. She has brown eyes and long black hair.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or the Hall County Sheriff’s Office at 770-536-8812. Citizens can also submit tips to 770-503-3232 or via email.

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