'Another holiday without her.' Father pleads for answers in case of missing New Hampton girl
A tipster claimed that Alexandra, her mother and her brother were living in Tecámac, Mexico as of February. News 12 turned that information over to the FBI, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the family.
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An Orange County father is marking a second holiday season without his young daughter - who vanished more than a year ago during a custody dispute and is believed to have been taken out of the country by her mother.
Four-year-old Alexandra De La Mora Gomez was seen on surveillance video in November 2024 leaving her mother’s New Hampton apartment with packed bags. Her father, Michael LaMarca, was granted custody days later — but he says he hasn’t seen or heard from his daughter since.
Alexandra disappeared amid what her father describes as a contentious custody battle. He says he and the child’s mother, Yahaira De La Mora Gomez, were never married or living together, and that their daughter was conceived after a brief relationship. It's believed, the girl is with her mother and older half-brother.
A tipster claimed that Alexandra, her mother and her brother were living in Tecámac, Mexico as of February.
By early spring, LaMarca says the same tipster reported to authorities that the trio packed up again and were seen getting into a pickup truck with Texas plates. LaMarca says that was the last information he received.
In the meantime, LaMarca, who lives in Greenville, keeps Alexandra’s unwrapped Christmas gifts and toys in hopes she'll be able to open them before she grows out of them.
“Seeing these really hits hard,” he said, touching the presents still sitting in his home. He says the last year has been a blur of fear, grief and unanswered questions. “I miss her. I miss her every day. I have to find a reason to keep going every day, and it’s her.”
LaMarca and Alexandra’s grandmother, Nancy LaMarca, say her absence weighs heavier during the holidays. “Every holiday that passes makes us realize how much we miss her more and more,” Nancy said. “Not to have any contact at all. I can’t begin to explain how devastating that is.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office tells News 12 the case remains open and active, and that investigators are working with federal partners on all leads. The agency confirmed there is an active warrant for the arrest of Alexandra’s mother. The FBI also confirmed there are no new updates in the investigation.
Alexandra is officially listed as a missing child through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Nancy LaMarca says the family is doing everything they can to hold onto hope. “My life pretty much stopped when she was taken,” she said. “It’s always on our mind. We just miss her so much.”
Michael says the pain grows sharper as the milestones pile up — holidays, her birthday, school memories she’s missing out on.
“Missing Halloween, missing Thanksgiving, Christmas,” he said. “Every day is awful. The holidays are definitely hard. ”
Anyone with information about Alexandra’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 845-291-4033, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit a tip online at fbi.tips.gov. Tipsters can also contact the family directly at Bring.Alexandra.home@gmail.com.
