Carlos Alvarez Aguilar

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Downey Police Department (CA)

Missing From:

Downey, California

Summary:

Carlos was abducted by several unidentified individuals in Downey, California in early 1988. He and his mother were abducted while they were walking along a street. The abductors left his mother locked in the rented U-Haul truck they used in the crime and fled with Carlos. It’s believed Carlos’ late father’s family is behind the abduction and two suspects were identified but to date no arrests have been made. Carlos’ fate remains a mystery.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Carlos was last seen in Downey, California on February 3rd 1988. He and his mother, Yolanda Aguilar were walking down a street when a U-Haul truck pulled up next to them. The two were then forced into the truck before it sped away. Minutes later, the truck was found abandoned about a mile away with Yolanda inside. She was unharmed but had been locked in the back of the truck. Carlos and his abductors were nowhere to be found. Police learned the U-Haul truck had been rented earlier that day in East Los Angeles. Police believe the boy’s uncle, Jose Carlos Alvarez was one of the people involved in the abduction. A friend of his, Juan Carlos Cristo is believed to have also been present at the time the boy and his mother were taken. Jose was known to go by the nickname “Lootie” while Juan was known as “Yanco.” Carlos’ family was known to live in Mexico, Bolivia, and Venezuela so investigators believe the boy could have been taken to one of those places.

Additional Details:

Carlos was in the middle of a bitter custody dispute between his mother, Yolanda and his late father’s family at the time of his abduction. Yolanda married the boy’s father as part of a family agreement in which the father’s family had custody of all their offspring while Yolanda’s family received $7,000. After Carlos’ father died in 1984, his family took the boy from Miami, Florida to Texas and then to California. Yolanda wanted to be a part of her son’s life and tracked her late husband’s family down to California where she periodically visited him. On November 11th 1987, Yolanda took her son and fled the area. His paternal uncle, Jorge Alvarez Vasquez and his paternal grandfather, Ricardo Alvarez Fuentes called the police to claim a babysitter by the name of “Eneida Cruz-Rivera” had abducted Carlos as well as taken his birth certificate and other documents. Authorities quickly learned this was false and that Yolanda had taken her son. No charges were filed against Yolanda and police allowed her to take custody of her son. Both Jorge and Ricardo were charged with filing a false police report as well as attempting to falsely indict a person for a crime. The two were released on a $1,000 bail and disappeared afterward. Investigators believe the boy’s paternal relatives abducted him the second time in February 1988 and may have taken him out of the United States. No one has seen the boy since 1988.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 24, 2025