Vigil held in Wilmer for a missing boy and his murdered mother

Purple and blue balloons, flowers, and dozens of candles quickly filled the sidewalk in front of the home of Ian Aguilar.

Aguilar is the child at the center of the AMBER Alert out of the City of Wilmer.

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On Thursday evening, neighbors at Knollridge Mobile Home Park in Wilmer gathered to pray for the safe return of the 10-year-old and the eternal rest of his mother, 48-year-old Zuleika Lopez-Arzate.

Ian’s father, 38-year-old Juan Aguilar-Cano is listed as the suspect in the AMBER Alert. Aguilar-Cano is also wanted in connection to Lopez-Arzate’s death. Authorities said Ian is in grave or immediate danger.

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Ian's sister, Zuri Lopez, spoke to reporters at the vigil Thursday night. She said she spoke to her mother Monday evening and everything seemed fine.

"Her and Ian were getting ready for bed for the next day. He was watching Aladdin. The last thing that she said to me was she loved me. The last thing I said to her was that I love her too," Lopez said.

24 hours later, she said she found her mother, dead inside of her home on Oakdale St. and realized her brother was missing. She’s pleading with the public to help bring him back. She said Ian is on the autism spectrum and has medical needs.

“I can’t imagine he’s eating much. My mom was his world. He couldn’t go a couple hours without her unless it was school specifically,” said Lopez. “He needs his glasses, he needs his medication, he needs to be in school, he needs us.”

An AMBER Alert is issued for Ian Aguilar, left, who is believed to be with his father, Juan Aguilar-Cano, right. Law enforcement sources tell NBC 5 the boy's father is suspected of killing his mother.

Consuelo Camargo attended the prayer vigil with her daughters and granddaughters. She lives across the street from the family on Oakdale Street.

“On Sunday she came over to pay me for the week,” Camargo said.

Camargo said she would take Ian to and from school several times a week.

"She asked me to take Ian to school on Monday,” Camargo said. “She told me she would pick him up from school to take him to his therapy."

However, that never happened.

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Wilmer Police say Ian was last seen Tuesday morning around 7:30 a.m.

Neighbors said the body of Lopez-Arzate was discovered inside the home sometime before 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.

“It hurts a lot,” Camargo said. “I had been worried all day.”

Camargo described Ian’s mother as a kind, social and hard-working mother who will be dearly missed.

In a statement, the City of Dallas said, “Zuleika Arzate-Lopez was a beloved member of the Development Services family and her department is grieving the news of her passing. As a dedicated City of Dallas employee for 19 years, her presence is sorely missed. Our deepest condolences are with her family and we pray that Ian will be found safe and unharmed.”

Anyone with information about the abduction or the child's location is urged to call the Wilmer Police Department at 972-441-6565.

TEXAS STATEWIDE ALERT PROGRAMS

There are eight kinds of alerts that can be issued for missing or endangered people in Texas. They are listed below with links to a page with more information.