A reward of more than $20,000 is being offered for information about the location of a 17-year-old Moreno Valley girl. Norma Lopez is believed to have been abducted last week.
Lopez disappeared Thursday morning on her way home from summer classes at Valley View High School. The teen was evidently taking a shortcut across a field between the school and a friend's house in the 27300 block of Cottonwood Avenue when she vanished.
A green sport-utility vehicle was seen speeding away from the area around the time of her disappearance, but authorities have not been able to determine whether there's a connection.
A news conference is scheduled at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the sheriff's Moreno Valley station to provide an update on the investigation into the apparent kidnapping.
"We just want her back,'' the girl's older sister told reporters Monday.
"We haven't been able to sleep, eat, or anything ... knowing she's out there, and if they're doing any harm to her,'' Elizabeth Lopez said. ``We just want her back.''
Over the weekend, Riverside County sheriff's deputies, joined by some 200 community members, scoured the local area, searching for any clues as to Norma's whereabouts.
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Moreno Valley City Councilman Mike Rios was among the volunteers. He and other residents began cobbling together donations for a reward that continues to grow.
Sheriff's Sgt. Joe Borja said the missing girl's belongings were found in the field she was crossing, suggesting a struggle.
"As far as the evidence, we can't describe that,'' he said. "We know it's personal belongings of Norma. We're sure of that.''
Borja said the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children are involved in the search.
Norma is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black-and-white horizontal stripe sleeveless shirt, "skinny'' jeans and black shoes, according to the sheriff's department.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts was urged to call the sheriff's dispatch center at (951) 776-1099, or a tip line, (877) 242-4345.
"Norma, you know we love you,'' her sister said. ``We're here for you. If there is a way you could call us and tell us you're safe, we just want you home.''
