A church sanctuary was opened Wednesday evening on June 12 for a prayer vigil for Maria Gomez-Perez, the 12-year-old Gainesville girl who has been missing from her home for two weeks now.
Members of the Atlanta Road Church of Christ located in Gainesville held the vigil for the community to join together in prayer for Maria’s safe return.
Part of the service included a prayer for law enforcement personnel who have been working to find answers to Maria’s disappearance.
The young girl was last seen around 10 a.m. on May 29 at her home in Gainesville. Many law enforcement agencies are investigating her case.
Missing girl’s father featured in video
Maria’s case has strongly impacted the Hispanic community in Hall County, as well as the community at large. Hispanic pastors and business leaders are leading the civilian effort to find her, offering reward money, posting billboards and social media alerts, and distributing flyers and bumper stickers seeking information that could help bring her home.
Maria’s father, Andres Gomez-Alonzo, appeared in a Facebook livestream on June 11 with a local pastor. Speaking in Maria’s native language, which is a dialect called chuj, Pastor Felipe Ramos from Iglesia Evangelica Pentecostes Rayos de Luz implored the community to remain vigilant.
Gomez-Alonzo spoke only briefly during the 38-minute video. It is one of the first times the young girl’s father has made a public appearance since first reporting his daughter’s disappearance.
Pastor Ramos is asking community members to share the video in hopes it might fall into the right hands to help Maria.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office continues to urge anyone with information on Maria’s disappearance to call 770-503-3232 or email [email protected]
Tips may also go to 911 or Hall County 911/Central Communications at 770-536-8812. Those offering tips can remain anonymous.
