In September 2008, 3-year-old Sofía Herrera disappeared during a family camping trip in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Despite extensive searches, false leads, and various theories over the years, her whereabouts remain unknown. The case has involved local police, INTERPOL, and the FBI, but no conclusive evidence has been found. A significant reward is offered for information leading to Sofía, and her family continues to search for her.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Sofía Herrera, a 3-year-old girl, disappeared on September 28, 2008, in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
2. She was with her parents, María Elena Delgado and Fabián Herrera, and their friends, Noemí Ramírez and Silvio Gímenez, at a camping site.
3. The family had stopped at a supermarket and a gas station before arriving at the camping site.
4. After arriving, the adults stayed near the cars while the children, including Sofía, went to look for firewood and a place to prepare a barbecue.
5. When the children returned, Sofía was not with them, and despite searching, she was not found.
6. María Elena called the police using the keeper's radio at 12 pm, and the police arrived 2 hours later.
7. The police searched the area, set up roadblocks, and collected broken windshields to check for any clues.
8. The investigation involved planes, ground-penetrating radars, and detection dogs, but no conclusive evidence was found.
9. The case received widespread attention, and many false leads and tips were reported.
10. A bounty of 280,000 pesos was offered for information leading to Sofía's safe return.
11. In 2009, a man claimed to have kidnapped Sofía and demanded a ransom, but he was later found to be a scammer.
12. The keeper of the camping site was investigated and arrested, but later acquitted due to lack of evidence.
13. In 2010, a new identikit of Sofía was published, showing what she would look like at the age of 5.
14. In 2012, a school principal in Mendoza reported a girl who resembled Sofía, but the fingerprints did not match.
15. In 2017, a seer named Verónica Contreras made false accusations against Sofía's parents, claiming they had harmed their daughter.
16. In 2018, a mega search operation was launched, covering 21 provinces and Chile, but no conclusive evidence was found.
17. In 2020, an international arrest warrant was issued for a suspect, José Dagoberto Díaz Águila, also known as "Espanta la Virgen."
18. The suspect was identified through the testimony of a petty officer and the 18-year-old Néstor, who had previously reported seeing a man taking Sofía.
19. The case remains unsolved, and Sofía's parents continue to search for her.
20. The case has had 4 judges, 3 prosecutors, and involved local police, INTERPOL, and the FBI.
21. There are currently around 70 missing children in Argentina.
22. Sofía's case is one of the most well-known and enduring missing persons cases in Argentina.