An Alabama toddler who is a U.S. citizen vanished from his home in a kidnapping case where investigators say every key adult involved was in the country illegally.
Story Snapshot
- Mobile County investigators charged Juan Carlos Argueta Guerra, a Guatemalan national in the U.S. illegally, with three counts of kidnapping connected to a missing mother and her two children.
- The victims—Aurelia Choc Cac and her 17-year-old daughter—were reported to have final deportation orders issued in April 2025; the 2-year-old boy is a U.S. citizen.
- Authorities say evidence indicates a violent struggle inside the home, including blood on household items and missing bedding.
- Sheriff Paul Burch said investigators are pursuing multiple theories and remain focused on locating the family safely.
Kidnapping Charges Center on Missing Mobile County Family
Mobile County, Alabama investigators say Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, her daughter Niurka Zuleta Choc, 17, and her son Anthony Choc, 2, disappeared after being taken from their residence around January 31, 2026. Authorities arrested and charged Juan Carlos Argueta Guerra with three counts of kidnapping on February 11, and a judge ordered him held on a $900,000 bond. As of the latest reporting, the three family members had not been found.
Investigators describe a case that looks less like a spontaneous abduction and more like an organized removal from a home. Reporting cites blood found on a mattress, a couch, and shoes, along with a missing mattress and a missing laundry hamper—details that suggest someone tried to move evidence or clean up. Neighbors reportedly last saw the family on January 31, and law enforcement has asked the public for tips while continuing to process the scene and pursue leads.
Video, Vehicle Links, and Conflicting Statements
Authorities also tied the case to a black van seen near the home during early morning hours on January 31. After days of reviewing video surveillance, investigators connected that van to Argueta Guerra, according to published reports. The van was registered to a man who was dating Argueta Guerra’s sister, and the boyfriend admitted he had loaned it to Argueta Guerra. Investigators also said cell phone data placed a phone associated with him in the area.
During questioning, Argueta Guerra reportedly gave conflicting statements about the van, a factor investigators often weigh when testing a suspect’s account against timelines and physical evidence. Sheriff Paul Burch said investigators have not identified a clear motive and are “exploring several different theories.” That lack of a stated motive matters for the public, because it means officials have not ruled out possibilities that range from personal conflict to coercion or other criminal activity.
Illegal Status Complicates an Already Dangerous Case
Sheriff Burch also underscored a central, uncomfortable fact: everyone at the center of the case shared unlawful immigration status—except the 2-year-old child, who is a U.S. citizen. Reports state the mother and teenage daughter were Guatemalan nationals in the U.S. illegally with final deportation orders issued in April 2025. Argueta Guerra is also described as being in the U.S. illegally, with an active ICE detainer lodged against him.
Those details point to a public-safety challenge that goes beyond one horrific incident: when people live outside the legal system, they can become harder for authorities to track, and they may be less likely to report threats or cooperate early, especially if they fear deportation. The reporting does not prove that immigration status caused the crime, and investigators have not announced a motive. But it does show that enforcement gaps can create conditions where dangerous actors and vulnerable families overlap.
Second Suspect Held, While Search Continues
Investigators also arrested Silverio Garcia, 60, described in reporting as an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, on a weapons charge tied to the case on February 3. His case is separate from the kidnapping counts filed against Argueta Guerra, but authorities have treated him as connected to the broader investigation. With one suspect charged and another held, the immediate question remains the same: where are Aurelia, Niurka, and little Anthony, and are they alive?
Illegal immigrant charged with kidnapping woman, two children from Alabama homehttps://t.co/LiZ7GPQW5X pic.twitter.com/1jcGOXwgi4
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 12, 2026
Sheriff Burch’s public message has remained focused on recovering the missing family. He said investigators hope an arrest will lead to answers, emphasizing that law enforcement’s “main goal is to find them safely and bring them back home.” For Americans who have watched years of border chaos and lax enforcement debates, this Alabama case is a grim reminder that immigration policy is not abstract. It lands in neighborhoods, on front porches, and—here—in the life of a missing American child.
