Police and a worried family need help finding a missing Dallas educator with a speech impairment.
The search for Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga spans three North Texas communities.
According to the family, the 24-year-old Dallas resident was last seen September 27 at about 8:11 p.m. leaving a mobile home park along Highway 175 in Seagoville.
Someone spotted her abandoned car along Lawson Road in Mesquite the following morning, according to family.
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Her worried loved ones and co-workers have been searching all along the rural road, walking into dense vegetation.
“It’s horrible in there. There’s a lot of thorns and everything,” said cousin Litzy Mendez. “We tried to search around here just to see if we could find evidence like shoes or wallet or phone but there’s nothing, like no clue whatsoever that will take us to her.”
Mendez Olascoaga is a Dallas ISD special education teacher’s assistant, according to brother-in-law Marco Barroso.
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A spokesperson for DISD confirms she is an employee.
For several days now, worried family and co-workers have been combing through areas along Lawson Road where Mendez Olascoaga’s white Buick was found empty, with no sign of the young woman, her purse or cell phone.
The family has only managed to nail down the last activity on her phone which was around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
They did not find anything out of place in the vehicle, other than the seat positioned farther back than where Mendez Olascoaga normally sets it.
The car was found about a 10-minute drive from the mobile home park.
“She was dropping off some friends down at their place and that’s the last time she was seen,” said Barroso.
The normally ‘punctual’ teacher’s assistant did not report to work Thursday, according to family and a co-worker.
“That’s when we kind of got the hint, something’s going on,” said Mendez.
The large family believes something sinister is behind her disappearance after learning of cryptic text messages sent to her friend.
The phone numbers are reportedly untraceable.
They have turned the messages over to Seagoville police, according to Barroso.
“Her friend she dropped off got those messages,” said Barroso. "Hey, do you miss someone? Do you miss someone? You’ll never find her. She’s gone. Jennifer Mendez and you’re next.’”
Seagoville PD confirms there is an open investigation into her disappearance but has yet to release any new information or announce any official search efforts.
The family is growing impatient as the days drag on and there’s no sign of the young woman.
As for what they believe is going on, Mendez said “Maybe she had enemies. Honestly, she was very private about her life, so we don’t know much about it.”
Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga is 5’4” and 250 pounds.
Her family says she was in special education classes in school due to a speech impairment but can communicate in English and Spanish.
They are pleading for help in their search.
“We just want to bring her back home,” said Mendez. “If someone has her, just let her go. Let us know We want her alive.”
The Dallas Police Department has an open ‘want to locate’ report in this case.
Anyone with information on Jennifer Mendez Olascoaga’s whereabouts is urged to call the Seagoville or Dallas Police Departments.
