Authorities seek help with 20-year old infant kidnapping case

The following has been released by the Gwinnett County Police Department:

(Lawrenceville, Ga., April 18, 2025) – The Gwinnett Police Department is asking for the public’s help on a cold missing person case. On December 17, 2005, 15-month-old Marisa Velasco, was kidnapped by her biological mother during a court approved unsupervised visit. Neither she or her mother has been seen or heard from since.

Marisa was in the custody of the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) at the time of the incident because the courts had determined that her mother, Rena Velasco and her boyfriend at the time posed a danger to the child. When the incident occurred, Rena Velasco was living in a battered woman’s shelter. Rena had Marisa in her care for the visitation. Rena told the shelter that she needed medical care and asked one of the other residents to drive her to a medical clinic. Rena brought Marisa along with her but after being dropped off at the clinic, she never came back to the shelter. When the foster parents who had been caring for Marissa arrived to pick her up the following day, they learned that Rena and Marissa were gone.

At the time, it was determined that the clinic where she was dropped off at was near the apartment of Rena’s boyfriend, Vidal Cruz. Officers checked the apartment but found it vacant. It was later learned that that Cruz had told several people that he was leaving the area and going back to Mexico.

Over the years, several age progressed photos of Marisa have been produced. Gwinnett Police are asking the public to look at these photos and contact us if you have seen—either recently or even years ago—a child that could be Marisa. Marisa would now be 20 years old. Warrants were issued at the time of the incident by Gwinnett County Superior Court for Rena Velasco for Kidnapping.

If anyone has any information to share in this case, please contact GCPD detectives at 770.513.5300.  To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404.577.TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.  Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.