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A 21-year-old pregnant woman, Jackelin Perez, has gone missing under what authorities are calling “suspicious” circumstances, according to local law enforcement in Washington State. Perez disappeared from her home in Auburn on the evening of Sunday, October 13, and has not been seen since.
According to a statement released by the Auburn Police Department on Thursday, Perez, who is six weeks pregnant, was “taken from her home under duress,” based on “credible evidence” discovered during their investigation. Authorities do not believe this is a random incident.
Perez recently immigrated to the United States from Guatemala with her husband, whose name has not been disclosed. She speaks limited English, which could potentially complicate the investigation, police say. The couple moved to Auburn a few months ago, according to APD spokesperson Kolby Crossley.
Crossley told PEOPLE that police estimate Perez disappeared sometime between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday evening. Her husband reportedly arrived home about 20 minutes after she vanished but did not report her missing until the following morning, a delay that has raised questions.
Though the authorities have not released specific details about why they believe Perez was taken against her will, the case is being treated as an abduction. As of Friday afternoon, no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly named.
“We’re looking at pretty much anyone as a suspect,” Crossley said, emphasizing that the investigation is wide-ranging and that police are actively seeking leads from the public.
Crossley urged the public to come forward with any information, no matter how small, that could help in the search for Perez. “It could be something really small like you might have seen her on a bus,” he told KOMO News. “Even if it’s just a glimpse, and you don’t really know, just give us a call, a general location of where you saw the person, and we can look into it.”
The police are encouraging anyone with potential information about Perez’s whereabouts to reach out as they continue their investigation into her mysterious disappearance.
