The search for Isabel Mercedes Celis

Sergio Celis' sister spoke on behalf of her brother Friday evening, saying he had never talked directly with Child Protective Services until last week.

Elena Lukasiewicz gave a statement during a candlelight vigil and walk for Sergio Celis' daughter, Isabel, who was reported missing from her home four weeks ago today.

Earlier this week, the Tucson Police Department confirmed that CPS went to the Celis home in December, although a police spokesman said he did not know the circumstances of the visit.

CPS representatives would not comment on the case.

After CPS officials met with police last week, it was determined that 6-year-old Isabel's two older brothers would be placed with their mother, Becky Celis. Sergio Celis voluntarily agreed not to have contact with his two sons.

Lukasiewicz gave the statement in response to the reports that CPS previously went to the family's home, and to react to what she described as the "negative press and public scrutiny" that has been directed toward her brother, she said.

"After witnessing the agony Sergio is suffering, it has pushed me forward to speak up now," she said. "We ask that you please maintain compassion and understanding for the entire family." Lukasiewicz did not give further comment after reading the statement.

Becky Celis attended the candlelight walk but declined to comment specifically about CPS or the investigation.

She said she's talked to her husband periodically since he's been apart from the family.

The separation has been hard on her husband, she said.

She described her husband as a great father who loves his sons and loves Isabel.

The couple's sons have remained strong despite the circumstances surrounding the family, she said.

"The boys are having a hard time, but they're doing OK," she said. "They're strong."

Tucson police said this week that the case was considered an abduction. Some family members, along with most of the sex offenders in the area near the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, have been eliminated as suspects, police said. Others, including Isabel's parents, have not been ruled out.

Police did not release any new information Friday.

Candlelight vigil

Volunteers hosted a candlelight vigil and walk Friday evening that attracted more than 250 people.

The walk began with a balloon release at volunteer headquarters in the parking lot on the southeast corner of East Broadway and Craycroft Road before heading to the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street.

Volunteers handed out candles for people to light once they arrived at the Celis home.

The group was expected to walk around Park Place Mall before returning to the headquarters for food and performances by musicians who wrote songs for Isabel.

Volunteers will hold a meeting, open to the public, at the headquarters at 8 p.m. Monday. For more information on the Isabel Celis case and upcoming volunteer events, go to bringisahome.com

Tucson police will give the next media briefing Monday at 2 p.m. at the midtown substation.

Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115.

A Tucson police briefing Thursday on the investigation into the disappearance of Isabel Celis was notable for questions police would not answer.

For example, while they again confirmed previous contact between the Celis family and state Child Protective Services, Sgt. Maria Hawke said police would not discuss the nature of the contact nor say when it occurred.

However, Hawke, a police spokeswoman, did say the previous CPS contact made with the Celis family "was not a TPD-initiated investigation, so it's not something that we have very direct knowledge about."

The Star reported Thursday that state CPS had contact with the family in December. Details of CPS' contact with the family, and how the agency followed up on the report, remain unclear.

In an email, Tasya Peterson, a CPS spokeswoman, said officials would not comment about any case history with the Celis family. She did say the agency is working closely with Tucson police.

Hawke said it would be inappropriate for police to discuss the state CPS case. She referred media to the state agency.

Police have gone before to the residence where the Celis family lives. Hawke said she did not know the nature of the calls. "They're very minimal. When I do a check of the residence, there virtually is no contact there prior to most recently," Hawke said.

She said she could not provide the specific dates when police responded to the Celis home.

Hawke also did not answer questions about anonymous and unconfirmed reports that investigators found a message apparently written by Isabel on her closet wall.

Hawke repeated that the police would not discuss evidence in the case, and that she was unaware of such a discovery.

"The integrity of the investigation is paramount," Hawke said in explaining why police continue to withhold case details.

Hawke started the news conference by stating that while the case has now been labeled an abduction, it could involve a stranger, a family acquaintance or a family member.

The 6-year-old child was reported missing from her midtown home April 21, which led to a massive search by police with up to 250 law-enforcement officers initially working the case.

"Some person is responsible for Isabel's disappearance. Isabel did not just wander off," Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor told the Star on Monday.

The chief also said Isabel's parents, Sergio and Becky Celis, have still not been ruled out as suspects.

"We have eliminated some family members as suspects," said Villaseñor, "and we have eliminated a lot of the sex offenders in the area" of the family's home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street.

Detectives continue investigating "external" leads that are away from the family, and "internal" leads - family members or persons known to the family, Villaseñor said in his Monday interview with the Star.

A week ago today, Sergio Celis voluntarily separated himself from contact with his wife and their two sons.

This happened after detectives developed information pertaining to the welfare of the boys and shared it with CPS. Villaseñor would not elaborate on the information developed by detectives.

Hawke said Thursday that the father is under no travel restrictions and that he and other family members continue to cooperate in the investigation.

Hawke said police continue to work under the assumption that Isabel is alive, adding that there has been no specific evidence regarding whether or not that is the case.

Today marks Day 28 of the investigation. More than 1,000 leads have been reported.

The 88-CRIME reward for information leading to an arrest in Isabel's disappearance is $50,500.

On StarNet: A collection of the articles, photos and videos related to the search for Isabel is at azstar net.com/isabel

Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@azstarnet.com or 573-4104.

Ann Curry: Isabel’s parents, Sergio and Becky, are now joining us exclusively this morning. Good morning to both of you.

Sergio and Becky Celis: Good morning.

AC: This is our first chance to really get to know a little bit about your daughter, Isabel. What do you want to tell us, Becky, about your girl?

Becky Celis: She is a girly girl. She loves to get her makeup on and paint her nails, do your nails, do my nails, do her hair. She loves to put — she loves to go out and play with her brother, play hard in the dirt and then come back in and get herself all girled up again. She's very caring. She’s a loving little girl, loves to come and give mom and dad hugs all the time, tell us we love her — or that she loves us. A beautiful baby girl.

AC: We can see from the videotape, just so full of life. And Sergio, I’m wondering, you know, we just saw from the videotape, you were asked to reenact the hours before Isabel disappeared. What do you remember about the last time you saw her, Sergio?

Sergio Celis: Just that sweet little face. Just that sweet little face. She had just gotten her hair done. It was just before she went to bed. She had a baseball game early the next morning and Becky braided her hair up. So she was going to be ready for early morning. And I was asking her if she was hungry and she just had that little sleepy look as she was walking by and she just said, ‘No, daddy. I’m tired.’ She was just walking by. She is so full of life, and she is just so wonderful. And we do miss her so much. And her brothers miss her so much. (One of the brothers) said he loves her so much. We just need everyone out there, everyone, just to keep praying for her. Keep your eyes out.

AC: As you know, any time there is a case of a missing child, the parents and family come under scrutiny. Becky, what do you want to tell us about how intense that scrutiny is now? Has it lessened? Is it still as intense? And how do you feel about it?

Becky Celis: It's necessary to do. And if it’s anything close to getting Isa back home safely, then whatever it takes. It’s nothing we can’t handle. We want her back, so whatever it takes to get her back, we will do.

AC: You know, there is no easy way to ask this question, but because this is your first live television interview, Sergio, let me ask you this question. What do you want to say about questions about whether you had anything to do with your daughter’s disappearance?

Sergio Celis: Gosh. I wish I knew where to begin. We are so frustrated to try to understand why this is happening, why this had to happen, why Isabel had to be targeted. We just don’t understand that. And to whomever did this, please, look at her, look at her. She’s beautiful. She doesn’t deserve this. She deserves to be home. She deserves to be home in her room playing with her brothers and just loving life the way she does. This is — there’s so many things that are just so frustrating and so difficult to deal with. You — we just want her home. We just want her home.

AC: Do you have any reason to believe that someone is holding her for ransom, Sergio?

Becky Celis: No demands have been made.

Sergio Celis: Not because it’s been made and not because it's been said, there have been no demands. There have been no calls for ransom. We have the reward ready. There has been no communication that we’re aware of. The detectives and the investigators have, you know, been good in communicating with us every day. But at the same time, you know, there’s only so much they can tell us. There’s only so much they do tell us. They keep us at bay, and all of that is frustrating. We understand that they can’t bring false hope, but at the same time, you know, we're desperate. We’re desperate in finding out information. We’re extremely frustrated that it’s taking so long and we understand that they’re doing absolutely everything possible. And sometimes it does feel that, yes, we do feel sometimes that they’re wasting time with us even though we know we have to be under, you know, scrutiny, absolutely, understandable. But my goodness. She’s still out there.

Becky Celis: We just want her home. We want people to keep praying for her so that she comes home to us, and keep your eyes open. Just as many prayers as you guys can do to bring her — to help us bring her home. Prayers to have whoever took her to have a change of heart and want to bring her home. Prayers for investigators to please have a break in the case and be able to bring Isabel home where she belongs, her favorite place in the world.

Sergio Celis: Her favorite place in the world.

AC: Sergio and Becky Celis, I am certain that after hearing you this morning, you have a lot of people praying for you and Isabel. Thank you so much for joining us.

Sergio Celis: And we want to thank everybody for all their prayers. This is the most unbelievable unity of prayer around the world, as we understand it. It’s not just across the nation. We understand it is worldly and we thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts.

Becky Celis: And our community.

Sergio Celis: Our community. Everybody’s so involved. The volunteers. There are endless efforts. It’s unbelievable. We have to thank everyone doing everything they're doing. And please, please keep your eyes open. Keep your eyes open.

Becky Celis: And continue praying, please.

AC: May your prayers be answered. Thank you.

An interview with the parents of Isabel Mercedes Celis aired on the Today Show this morning.

Sergio and Becky Celis appeared solemn and held hands throughout the interview.

It is the first time the couple has taken questions from the media since Isabel was reported missing April 21.

"I know she'll come home," Becky said.

She described the 6-year-old as a "girly-girl" who liked to paint her nails and play with makeup.

"She is very caring … loving little girl … loves to come and give mom and dad hugs all the time," Becky said. "Beautiful baby girl."

Isabel's father, Sergio, said no demands have been made by whoever has her.

Asked if he had anything to do with Isabel's disappearance, Sergio closed his eyes for a moment before responding.

"I wish I knew where to begin," he said. "We are so frustrated."

Sergio went on to say he doesn't understand why Isabel was targeted. He also said he feels police are wasting time focusing on the family.

"She's still out there," he said.

In the Today show segment Tucson police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said the parents have taken polygraph tests and continue to cooperate with investigators. 

Police have still not identified a person of interest in the case and nobody has been ruled out as a suspect as the search for Isabel enters its 13th day. 

"We look at everyone to include the family it's not that we're saying the family is responsible, but we're not saying the family is completely clear." Villaseñor said. Everyone is a suspect until we find out otherwise." 

Click here to see the interview

Any hope for clues into the disappearance of 6-year-old Isabel Mercedes Celis from a group of five people caught on surveillance video has vanished because the images captured the wrong night.

Tucson police released the video Friday hoping the people in it had witnessed something that would help detectives find Isabel.

The Little League player was reported missing from her home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street shortly after 8 a.m. April 21. Her father, Sergio Celis, went to wake her up in her room and Isabel was not there, police were told. The window to her bedroom was open and the screen was off.

Detectives learned the surveillance video that was released showed the wrong night after talking to three of the five people shown in the grainy black-and-white footage walking in the area of Isabel's home near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road, Lt. Fabian Pacheco said Monday.

The video, which was not date- or time-stamped, was taken by a security camera at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 215 S. Craycroft Road. The video shows the group walking overnight April 21, hours after the search for Isabel had begun.

Police now are working with the security company to collect video footage from overnight April 20, which will include the hours before Isabel was reported missing, Pacheco said.

Investigators will have to pore over footage again in hopes of finding clues into Isabel's disappearance. The mix-up is not a major setback in the investigation, Pacheco said. It is not known how long it will take before police have video from the correct night, he added.

Meanwhile, detectives on Isabel's case are also working with Pima County Sheriff's Department investigators on a report of a sexual assault of three sisters reported Monday morning, said sheriff's Bureau Chief Rick Kastigar. (See story in Law and Order Briefs, at left.)

"We have contacted the Tucson Police Department, and they have sent several detectives out to interact with our detectives. They are comparing notes and sharing information," Kastigar said.

"I don't believe the incidents involving Isabel Celis and the sexual assault of these girls are related, but we can't dismiss the possibility, either," Kastigar said.

A song for Isa

Local band Flight Team, a rhythm and blues and hip-hop group, filmed video for its new song, "Bring Isa Home," Monday evening.

The video was filmed in a shopping center parking lot at South Craycroft Road and East Broadway. A makeshift volunteer post is set up to distribute materials about Tucson's missing child, 6-year-old Isabel Mercedes Celis.

Tucson Medical Center employees who are co-workers of Becky Celis, Isabel's mother, took part in the video.

Band manager Octavio Corrales said the song was written by Lil Zay, Mic Ortiz and Yng Joe to thank the community for coming together and working to try to find Isabel.

To see the filming of the video, go to azstarnet.com/video

Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@azstarnet.com or 573-4104.

It's been nine days, and while Tucson police concede that the case of missing Isabel Mercedes Celis could turn cold, detectives have not given up hope.

Lt. Fabian Pacheco on Sunday said tips continued coming in over the weekend as investigators pored over more than 350 leads in the disappearance of the 6-year-old Little League player who was reported missing from her home shortly after 8 a.m. April 21.

Detectives are again listening to taped statements taken in the days after Isabel's disappearance.

"On the initial days when those interviews were taken, they may not mean much, but perhaps, nine days later, we can have a better perspective as to how they apply to the overall investigation," Pacheco said. "I don't want to give the connotation that we're losing hope in any way. It is something difficult to deal with."

At a Mass offered for Isabel and her family Sunday, the Rev. Miguel Mariano, pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church, spoke to a photo of Isabel.

"A lot of people are looking for you. ... The whole world is looking for you," Mariano said. "Continue to say, 'Jesus. Jesus.' ... It will melt the heart and hearts of those people who did this to you."

During the Offertory, four of Isabel's cousins took gifts to the altar, including her stuffed polar bear, dressed in purple - Isabel's favorite color.

Mariano also asked the more than 300 people in attendance to pray for investigators on the case.

Detectives have spoken to several people in a group of five captured on a surveillance camera walking in Isabel's neighborhood the morning of her disappearance. Police still need to identify a sixth person also shown on the surveillance video.

About a dozen FBI agents and other federal and local authorities continue to assist in the case, Pacheco said.

Law enforcement officials in Sonora, Mexico, have also searched bus terminals, industrial complexes and restaurants, but nothing has proved fruitful, Pacheco said, including a report of an Isabel sighting in Magdalena de Kino.

Volunteers and co-workers of Isabel's mother, Becky Celis, a Tucson Medical Center nurse, continue manning a makeshift volunteer post in the shopping-center parking lot at South Craycroft Road and East Broadway where T-shirts, votive candles, buttons - adorned with Isabel's face - are for sale to raise reward money and to help the family.

The Celis home, which has been searched by Tucson police and an FBI behavioral-analyst unit, has been released to the family, though family members have chosen not to return home, Pacheco said.

An 88-CRIME reward in the case is now $50,000.

How to help

Anyone with information can call 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@azstarnet.com or 573-4104.

One of the men in a group of people caught in a video near the home where Isabel Celis disappeared last weekend came forward Saturday, police said.

Police detectives were interviewing him, with hopes that he would put officers in contact with the rest of the group, said Lt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.

The five people were seen in a surveillance video as they walked through a parking lot near St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 215 S. Craycroft Road, between 1 and 1:30 a.m. on April 21, hours before Isabel was reported missing.

The group was headed toward East Cooper Street, which is one street south of East 12th Street, where the Celis home is.

They are not suspects in the 6-year-old's disappearance, but police hope that perhaps the group saw something out of the ordinary that could help them determine what happened to the little girl. Police confirmed that a sixth person who wasn't with the group was briefly seen in the video, Pacheco said at a Saturday afternoon news briefing.

Isabel's parents say they last saw her when they put her to bed at 11 p.m. Friday after they attended a Little League game. When her father went in to wake her at 8 a.m. Saturday, he said, she was gone.

Detectives have interviewed countless people and followed numerous leads, he said.

"We are not focusing on any one such avenue. We're looking at all options," he said. "It's just another thing to look at."

Tucson police have scaled down their search for Isabel and are now focusing on tips they have received, he said.

Investigators "finally got a chance to really sit down and get into the meat of all that information that we've gathered in the past eight days," he said. "This isn't 'CSI Tucson' where we're going to solve this in an hour."

On Friday, police asked Tucsonans to think about whether anyone they know was unaccounted for during the hours when Isabel went missing or has been acting strangely since then. Pacheco said 88-CRIME received 28 tips Saturday before the news briefing.

Within the past few days, Tucson police have also searched lakes at area parks and other bodies of water, and contacted Mexican authorities in Sonora, asking them to check businesses, bus terminals and industrial areas in the Mexican state.

The story so far

Isabel Mercedes Celis was reported missing on April 21. Her parents told police they last saw the 6-year-old at 11 p.m. April 20 when they put her to bed in their midtown home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near Broadway and Craycroft Road. Her father called 911 at 8:14 a.m. the following day, saying that when he went to wake her, she was gone.

The first-grader's bedroom window was found open and the screen had been removed, authorities said. Police have not confirmed that the window was an entry point into the Celis home.

Tucson police have been working with the FBI and the U.S. Marshals to follow up on all leads. Authorities continue to call Isabel's disappearance suspicious and a possible abduction.

Isabel stands about 44 inches tall and weighs about 44 pounds. Her hair is light brown and her eyes are hazel. She is missing two of her front teeth, one upper and one lower. She was last seen with her hair in two braids, wearing a blue tank top and navy blue basketball shorts.

Report info

Anyone with information about Isabel's disappearance can call 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

Tucson police have added a new technology to their quest for tips about Isabel Celis' disappearance.

Anyone with an iPhone or Android phone can download "TipSoft," a new app that lets people send anonymous tips online.

People without a smartphone can send a text message to CRIMES (274637). For information specific to Isabel's disappearance, use the keyword "TucsonPD 5265. For information on other cases, use "TucsonPD."

Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115.

Tucson police released a surveillance video Friday showing five people walking through a parking lot near Isabel Celis' neighborhood hours before she was reported missing.

The video shows what appear to be two men and three women walking eastbound through the parking lot alongside St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 215 S. Craycroft Road, between 1 and 1:30 a.m. last Saturday and headed toward East Cooper Street.

Cooper Street is one street south of East 12th Street, where the Celis home is located.

The group may have left the Cactus Moon nightclub or the Risky Business Restaurant and Bar near East Broadway and Craycroft Road, according to a Police Department news release.

Police would like to question members of the group to see if they have any information that would help the investigation into Isabel's disappearance. Members of the group are asked to call 911 as soon as possible.

"We want them to hopefully come forward to us and tell us did they or did they not see anything unusual," said Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor at a news briefing.

The department released the video after seeing the number of investigative leads decrease as police continue to search for the 6-year-old girl who has been missing for a week.

Villaseñor also said:

• The department has contacted the Sonora State Investigative Police in Mexico with information about Isabel.

• An anonymous donor has worked with 88-CRIME to increase the reward for significant information to $50,000.

Likely didn't leave alone

At this point, it doesn't appear Isabel left the house on her own, although investigators are not ruling out the possibility, Villaseñor said.

"What we're interested in is identifying and talking to people who may have been in the area" between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., he said.

Anyone who might have abducted Isabel likely would have shown changes in their normal behaviors and activities last Saturday or on subsequent days, he said.

Those changes include missing scheduled appointments or other activities last Saturday, disappearing for a period of hours or days since last weekend and becoming more nervous or secretive.

Lake searches completed

Police completed a search of four Tucson-area park lakes Thursday night, finding no clues in Isabel's disappearance.

The search Thursday evening of the body of water at Lakeside Park, near South Pantano and East Escalante roads, was prompted by a tip, said Lt. Fabian Pacheco.

After searching Lakeside, investigators decided to check lakes at three other Tucson-area parks: Kennedy, near West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard; Christopher Columbus, on North Silverbell Road near West Sweetwater Drive; and Reid, near East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road. No clues were found, Pacheco said.

Meanwhile, police are asking anyone with video of activities at Freedom Park on the night of April 20 to contact investigators.

Isabel was at the park, on East Golf Links Road near South Swan Road, that evening for her brother's baseball game, police said.

There are about 50 detectives investigating leads, along with another 40 officers and support personnel performing administrative work, and, if necessary, checking areas, Villaseñor said.

FUNDRAISERS

Members of the Arizona Opera chorus have organized a benefit concert Sunday in Scottsdale to raise money for Isabel's search fund. Isabel's father, Sergio Celis, has been a longtime tenor in the Arizona Opera chorus, performing most recently in the opera's March production of "Aida."

"When we had first heard about (Isabel's disappearance) we were in the middle of a show and we were all just dumbstruck, and we didn't know what to do, but we knew that we had to to do something," said Ashleigh Guida, who along with fellow chorus member Kara Harris helped organize the concert. "We thought this would be a good way for us to show our support, and we just want to give them as much love and support as we possibly can."

More than 30 current and former chorus members have volunteered to perform in Sunday's concert, said John Cleveland, who has performed in the chorus with Celis for about 20 years.

Cleveland called Celis "one of the finest people you can ever meet" and said that both Celis and his wife, Rebecca, are very dedicated and loving parents.

Concert information

Voices of Hope - A Concert for Isabel and the Celis Family.

• When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

• Where: Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale.

• Cost: Donations accepted.

HOW TO HELP

Anyone with information about Isabel's disappearance can call 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

Donations to help with the search can be made online at www.tmcaz.com/ TMCFoundation

Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115.

Today marks a week since Isabel Mercedes Celis was reported missing from her midtown home and Tucson police are hoping for more tips to help find the 6-year-old.

An anonymous mobile tip service is now available for iPhone and Android users. Cell users can send a text message to CRIMES (274637). Use "TucsonPD” as the keyword at the beginning of the message.

 It’s the first time Tucson police have used Tipsoft, which allows for anonymous two-way dialogue to provide possible leads in a criminal investigation. The service encrypts the messages, assigning them a unique ID. It then routes hem through a secure server to protect the tipster’s identity.

There are other ways to send police tips in the ongoing search for Isabel.

People can submit tips online here.

And tips can be left by phone at 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

Tucson police are set to hold their next new conference at 2 p.m. today.

Tucson police searched four Tucson-area park lakes, finding no clues in the disappearance of Isabel Mercedes Celis who was reported missing from her midtown home Saturday morning.

The search Thursday evening of the body of water at Lakeside Park, near South Pantano and East Escalante roads, was prompted by a tip, Lt. Fabian Pacheco said at a news conference this  morning.

After searching Lakeside, investigators decided to check lakes at three other Tucson-area parks: Kennedy, near West Ajo Way and South La Cholla Boulevard; Christopher Columbus, on North Silverbell Road near West Sweetwater Drive; and Reid, near East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road. No clues were found, Pacheco said.

Meanwhile, police are asking anyone with video of activities at Freedom Park friday night to contact investigators. Isabel was at Freedom park on East Golf Links near South Swan Road that evening for her brother’s baseball game, police said.

Anyone with video or tips about Isabel’s case can call 88-CRIME.

Police have scheduled another news conference on the case at 6 p.m.

Tucson police have now moved their search for Isabel Celis to lakes at city parks and other bodies of water, Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said Thursday evening.

Law enforcement officers have looked around the lake at Chuck Ford Lakeside Park, east of South Pantano Road and south of East Golf Links Road, and several water-retention basins in the area, Villaseñor said.

The department is not using dive teams but is looking for anything around the water that could be connected to Isabel's disappearance, Villaseñor said at an evening news briefing.

Police have not received any tips that led to the searches of the bodies of water, but they're exploring "all possibilities," he said.

"I'd think we'd be remiss if we didn't search those areas that could possibly be a location," he said on the sixth day of the search.

Isabel, 6, was reported missing from her midtown home at 8 a.m. Saturday. She was last seen at 11 p.m. Friday when she went to bed.

Villaseñor said officers are still interviewing people in the area around Isabel's house. He said anyone who lives in the vicinity of the home who hasn't been contacted by police should call 88-CRIME to set up an interview.

"We want to talk to everyone," he said Thursday evening. "If anyone has information on this investigation, we definitely would love to talk to them."

Villaseñor said the department is keeping track of the cost of the investigation, which at its peak included about 200 officers searching for the girl. He said the cost so far has not been determined.

There are now 50 officers investigating the case and between 20 and 30 officers performing other duties, he said.

FBI profilers are still involved in the case, he said. He said he didn't know if the specially trained agents have questioned Isabel's family.

Police reviewing lead sheets

Earlier Thursday, police said the search is focusing on follow-ups of information that officers received during the first stages of the investigation.

Detectives are reviewing lead sheets, containing answers from residents to several questions asked by officers during a canvass of the area surrounding the Celis home, in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, over the last several days.

"When we go through these lead sheets if they identify something that may interest us we will be sending some of our officers out to that area to follow up to check those areas," said Tucson police Lt. Fabian Pacheco. "We want to be absolutely certain we've covered everything in terms of the canvassing search."

Sergio Celis, Isabel's father, appeared in Tucson City Court on Thursday morning for an arraignment hearing on dog vaccination, licensing and running-at-large violations. He entered a not guilty plea to all charges. The charges are unrelated to the investigation of Isabel's disappearance, Pacheco said.

Neighbor's account

A neighbor of the Celis family shared her account of what she noticed the morning Isabel was reported missing.

Alicia Stardevant, who lives next door to the Celis family, said she heard male voices outside her window last Saturday.

Stardevant was awakened about 6:30 a.m. Saturday by her own dog barking and the sound of the Celises' dogs "going crazy." She believes the family has one large dog and three smaller ones.

"I heard two male voices … outside my bedroom window because my bedroom window is directly across from (Isabel's) bedroom window," she said.

But she didn't check to see who the voices belonged to.

"It was light outside, I didn't really think anything of it," she said. "I thought maybe someone was going for a walk."

About 8 a.m. she said an officer and Isabel's uncle showed up at her door to say she was missing.

"It's terrible and I felt so bad," she said.

She said she looked over the wall separating the Celis home from the walkway to her apartment and saw that Isabel's window was wide open and the screen had been taken off.

Police have scoured the Los Reales Landfill, washes and drainage areas surrounding the home near Broadway and Craycroft Road and visited homes within a three-mile radius of the home looking for clues about Isabel's disappearance.

Authorities have not identified any persons of interest in the case.

How to help

Anyone with information can call 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

Crime website

Isabel Celis' disappearance is now prominently featured on "America's Most Wanted" website - www.amw.com

The TV show's site includes a synopsis of the case, photos of the girl and phone numbers to call with tips.

Contact reporter Veronica Cruz at vcruz@azstarnet.com or 573-4224.

The father of Tucson's missing girl made a public plea Wednesday for "the person or persons who has Isabel" to "tell us your demands."

The parents of Isabel Mercedes Celis - the 6-year-old missing since Saturday - begged at a news conference for her return.

The police chief said afterward that authorities haven't received a ransom note but haven't ruled out that a demand may surface.

Police also said they don't believe Isabel has been taken out of state, and they're operating under the assumption she is alive although they are now focusing their scaled-back search on washes, abandoned homes, drainage areas and the desert.

At the news conference at a shopping center next to their midtown home, Sergio and Becky Celis wore T-shirts with "Bring Isa Home" on the front and a photo of the smiling brown-haired child with hazel eyes on the back. They wore blue rosaries around their necks.

"We will do anything for her," said Sergio Celis, trembling as his eyes filled with tears.

The father, a dental assistant, opera singer and Freedom Little League coach, spoke to his little girl: "We're looking for you Isa. We love you and we miss you so much, and we will never give up, we will never give up looking for you."

He opened his prepared remarks by saying the family is cooperating fully with investigators.

Becky Celis, a nurse at Tucson Medical Center who is the No. 1 fan of Isabel and her brothers, Julian and Sergio, at all their baseball games, also trembled while speaking in front of television cameras and to reporters for the first time.

The mother thanked the community for its support and prayers, and for its efforts to help find her daughter. She said she and her husband "do not want the focus to be taken off Isabel" by their being in the media spotlight.

The couple came forth "to plea for a safe return of our baby girl Isabel," said the crying mother.

Standing behind them were friends and co-workers who wiped away tears.

Those volunteers will remain in the parking lot at the shopping center at South Craycroft and East Broadway handing out fliers to anyone who wants to post them around the city.

"We will keep helping them in whatever way we can," said Valerie Ballesteros, who works at Tucson Medical Center and is a close friend of Becky Celis. "We all know Isa. … She is our little Isa, and we want her home. We need to get stronger for the family," she said, her voice quivering.

The parents did not take questions, and after their pleas were escorted away by police. They had previously issued one written statement since Isabel's disappearance, thanking volunteers for their support in trying to find their daughter.

In a news briefing Wednesday night, police said there may be homes in the three-mile search radius around the Celis home where no one was home or answered the door when police knocked. They asked that anyone who lives in that area and hasn't talked to a police officer call 88-CRIME.

The Celis home is in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and Craycroft Road.

The FBI behavioral analysts called in to help on the case will begin today to review the interviews already conducted by police.

They "may or may not" interview the parents themselves, said Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor.

The analysts looked through the family home Tuesday night. "I'm hoping they saw things differently," Villaseñor said.

Earlier Wednesday, Villaseñor said he does not believe Isabel walked away from her home.

Villaseñor said there have been more than 300 leads in the case, noting that they are not coming as often as they had earlier in the week. He said the slowdown in tips might have played a role in the parents' decision to hold a news conference.

Villaseñor said no one has been eliminated as a suspect.

He said officers are reviewing surveillance video from cameras near the home, but he would not say if they have provided any clues to Isabel's disappearance.

The family told police that the last time the first-grader was seen was when she went to bed at 11 p.m. Friday, and when her father went to wake her up at 8 a.m. Saturday she was gone.

They said a quick search was done before calling 911 to report her missing.

About $20,000 has been raised in private donations for a reward in the case offered through 88-CRIME, though officials say $33,000 has been pledged.

More than 100,000 fliers have been posted or handed out in the city. The T-shirts with Isabel's photo are also being distributed, along with buttons and wristbands, thanks to private and business donations, said Becky Celis' friend Ballesteros.

A donated billboard off Interstate 10 and Elliot Road in Phoenix now displays a photo of Isabel. In Tucson, an Isabel banner was put up above the Trader Joe's at North Wilmot Road and East Speedway. Volunteers are also hoping for donations to put up a billboard off Interstate 19.

How to help

Anyone with information can call 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

What the parents said

Here is a transcript of the statements made Wednesday by Becky and Sergio Celis, the parents of Isabel Mercedes Celis, who has been missing since Saturday.

The couple spoke in English and Spanish during a news conference near a Tucson Police Department command center in a shopping complex next to their midtown home.

Becky Celis

"Hi, we just wanted to let you guys know we have tremendous gratitude toward Detective Sabori and his elite team, our community and the Little League community, and the TMC family crew and the millions of people around the world who continue to pray and volunteer their time and effort, endless efforts in finding Isabel.

"We do not want the focus to be taken off Isabel by us being in front of the cameras or the media. We are here today to plea for a safe return of our baby girl Isabel."

Sergio Celis

"We are cooperating to the fullest extent with the investigation.

"We are increasing the reward. Just please, please, to the person or persons who have Isabel, tell us your demands, tell us what you want. We will do anything for her.

"We're looking for you, Isa, we love you and we miss you so much, and we will never give up, we will never give up looking for you."

Reporter Jamar Younger contributed. To contact reporters: Carmen Duarte at cduarte@azstarnet.com or 573-4104; Veronica Cruz at vcruz@azstarnet.com or 573-4224; or Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115.

Two tragic events, 33 years apart and yet so near to heart, have me thinking over and over: Keep your children well.

New York police had just announced they were reopening the Etan Patz case when, here in Tucson, 6-year-old Isabel Celis was reported missing.

I covered Etan's story when I was a national writer for The Associated Press based in New York City.

A sunny, outgoing little boy, 6-year-old Etan vanished on the day he was allowed to walk alone, for the first time, to his school-bus stop. Half a block. Etan never made it to school, and his school didn't call Etan's parents, and so he had been missing for more than eight hours before anyone realized he had vanished.

Etan's disappearance was probably the first lost-child story to become national news. That was partly because Etan's father, Stan, was a professional photographer and instantly produced a trove of beautiful photos that quickly adorned "Missing" posters all over New York City and far beyond. It was partly because Etan disappeared in SoHo, a New York City neighborhood that was a very small town: everyone knew everyone else; everyone dropped everything to pitch in to try to help find Etan.

But, of course, they never did. After the police called off the official search, the lead detective on the case continued to investigate on his own. He later committed suicide; those who knew him said Etan's unsolved disappearance broke him.

Etan has haunted me, as well. I remember that Etan's 3-year-old brother used to carry his toy plastic telephone to his mother and say, "Call Etan?"

I remember that even years later, Stan and Julie Patz would not move to a new address and would not give up their telephone number, the number Etan knew.

Now New York City police have gathered new information, identified a "new" suspect (one who was ruled out as a suspect 30 years ago) and were digging in a basement just a couple of doors from the Patz family's Prince Street loft - between the loft and the school-bus stop. Etan may have been that close all this time.

Since Etan vanished - and two years later, 6-year-old Adam Walsh (whose mother lost sight of him among the clothing racks in a mall department store and never saw him alive again) - much as been done to improve our chances of keeping our children safe and our odds of finding them if they are snatched away.

Stan and Julie Patz and John and Reve Walsh worked hard to make this happen after they found there was no central clearinghouse for information on missing children, no organized investigative approach to identify possible predators.

We now have registries of sexual offenders; the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a clearinghouse for information and assistance. We plant microchips in our children, or fingerprint them. Still, the disappearance of a small child is not uncommon - and the heartbreak is beyond comprehension.

Reve Walsh wasn't wrong to look away for a few moments while she shopped in Sears. Julie Patz wasn't wrong to allow Etan the freedom to walk half a block alone on a sunny May morning. Children are at risk even if their parents never flag in their watchfulness.

Over the years, I have often approached utter strangers, moms or dads, to point out that their little one has toddled away while they were thumping the melons or holding up a dress to a mirror. I taught my own children to be wary of strangers - hating the message of fear and distrust I was sending but thinking of sunny, friendly little Etan Patz. The dog slept in the kids' room, not in mine. For all that, in the end, they grew up safely. We were lucky.

Jane See White is an editor at the Arizona Daily Star. Email: jwhite@azstarnet.com

8:15 p.m. — The FBI behavioral analysts helping in the case of missing 6-year-old Isabel Mercedes Celis will start Thursday to review the interviews already conducted by Tucson police, police said in a news briefing tonight.

The FBI analysts “may or may not” interview Isabel’s parents themselves, police added. 

Also, police said there might have been some houses within their 3-mile search radius around the Celis' midtown home that they missed, because no one was home or didn't answer the door, for example. Police ask that anyone living in that area who hasn't been contacted by a police officer call 88-CRIME. The Celis' home is in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and Craycroft Road. 

2 p.m. — Through tears and trembling, the parents of Isabel Mercedes Celis pleaded for her safe return.

Becky Celis read from a piece of paper, asking the community to keep its focus on finding her daughter.

“Tell us your demands,” Isabel’s father, Sergio, said moments later. “Tell us what you want.”

He then made an emotional statement directly to the missing 6-year-old: “We'll never give up looking for you.”

He also said the family was cooperating with police and plans to increase the amount of the reward money.

The entire statement lasted some five minutes and was made in English and Spanish.

The parents were surrounded by volunteers in white T-shirts with “Bring Isa Home” written on the front and a photo of Isabel on the back. The parents also wore such T-shirts, and rosaries.

Police escorted the parents away after their statements.

Isabel’s family had only issued one written statement since her disappearance, to thank volunteers for their support in trying to find Isabel.

The family has told police the last time the first-grader was seen was in her bedroom Friday night.

Police have labeled Isabel’s case a suspicious disappearance and possible abduction.

Day 5: Parents of missing Tucson girl to hold news conference

Noon — The family of a missing Tucson girl will make its first public statement this afternoon.

The family has not been available to media since Isabel Mercedes Celis was reported missing Saturday morning.

The Celis family will have a news conference at the volunteer tent near the police staging area  at 2 p.m., Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said at a noon news briefing near the Celis family home. The staging area is near Broadway and South Craycroft Road.

The next police update on the search for Isabel will be at 4 p.m. at the Hardesty Substation, 1100 S. Alvernon Way.

Villaseñor said Isabel’s parents, Sergio and Becky Celis, will be speaking at the news conference. He said police are facilitating the news conference at the family’s request.

Villaseñor said officers are reviewing surveillance video from cameras near the home, but he would not say if they have provided any clues to Isabel’s disappearance.

Also, more than 100,000 fliers with Isabel’s picture on them have been distributed since Saturday, said Valerie Ballesteros, who works at Tucson Medical Center with Isabel’s mother.

She said a billboard with her picture was put up in the Phoenix area along Interstate 10. The billboard was donated. Other billboards are being considered on I-10 near Orange Grove Road and on I-19 near Nogales.

Banners with her picture have also been put up around Tucson and community search organizers are ordering T-shirts and buttons with her photo on them to pass out.

Ballesteros said the search items are being bought with donations of money and services from local businesses.

Day 5: Tucson police search for Isabel in washes  

7:30 a.m. — Tucson police Chief Roberto Villaseñor announced at a press briefing this morning that a scaled down search of missing 6-year-old girl Isabel Celis will focus mostly on areas such as washes and drainage areas.

“It means that we’re not gonna take any chance in overlooking anything,” he said.

Authorities completed another search warrant on the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, allowing behavioral analysts from the FBI to take a look at the home, Villaseñor said.

“I’m hoping they saw things differently,” he said.

Villaseñor also added that he does not believe Isabel walked away from her home. Police don’t believe she has been taken out of state.

Today: Parents try to find words to talk about missing girl   

The alarm is set, and the house is locked up.

The dogs are loose.

And the parents' doors are open so they can hear any sound from their kids' rooms - if the kids haven't jumped in the parents' bed already.

The disappearance of 6-year-old Isabel Celis has sparked a wave of worry in many Tucson-area homes that crops up especially at bedtime. The news - spread through newscasts, fliers and school conversations - also has young kids posing some hard questions about the girl's unexplained disappearance from her midtown home.

The story, as related by Isabel's family to police, raises natural fear in families: Isabel went to sleep in her room Friday night and when her father went in to wake her Saturday morning, she was gone.

"My 5-year-old daughter told me last night 'Mommy I think it's safer for me to sleep with you because I don't want anyone to take me, and I wish our house didn't have any windows,' " Tucsonan Lorraine Young said via Facebook. "She slept with me holding my hand."

The story has also touched a deep fear in parents.

"It's put parents on high alert," said Kim Metz, executive director of The Parent Connection, an education and support center for parents at 5326 E. Pima St.

Dawn Ridgway's 6-year-old daughter asked to sleep in Ridgway's room, but Ridgway just stayed with her till she slept, she said. "It's not just her," said Ridgway, who has volunteered this week passing out missing-person fliers. "Myself, I can't sleep."

Jennifer Eason's family was at Freedom Park along with the Celis family Friday night for Little League, the night before Isabel went missing.

"My kids were playing in the dark while I was sitting on the bleachers watching the game. That is not going to happen again," Eason said. "I let them walk to the bathroom by themselves. That is not going to happen again. When we go to Target, I let the boys go into the boys' toy section and I let my daughter go into the girls' section, and I stand in the middle. That is not going to happen again. You can't take safety for granted."

The issue became impossible to ignore for Lynn Davis' family Monday when police went door to door on her family's block, near Isabel's home. That prompted her 9-year-old to ask about what happened, forcing Davis and her husband into a tough situation: "How do you make this a teachable moment for your kid without causing them undue anxiety?" she said.

Many parents reported using the incident to talk with their kids about "stranger danger." But the applicability of that lesson isn't clear, since nobody knows whether a stranger is responsible for Isabel's disappearance.

Instead, parents should teach their kids to be assertive with adults who are making them uncomfortable, said Bob Lowery, executive director of the missing-children division of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That's because adult strangers are only a portion, probably small, of the likely victimizers of children.

"Those children who kick and scream and try to draw attention to themselves, they're the ones who will get away," Lowery said.

In a given year in the United States, Lowery said, there are about 110 abductions of children by a stranger, a small portion of those from the child's home. That compares to about 58,000 abductions per year of children by people whom they know, he said.

Still, the fear of stranger abductions lies dormant inside many Tucsonans. They recall the 1996 disappearance of 7-year-old Karen Grajeda, who never was found, or the 1986 murder of 2-year-old Zosha Lee Pickett.

Metz, of The Parent Connection, says parents should minimize kids' exposure to news stories about Isabel but should speak openly with them about it. Tucson children are finding out about it one way or another, she said.

"Our children actually feel safer when they know that their parents are upset or worried or concerned about something that happened to other children," Metz said.

Parents can acknowledge that terrible things sometimes happen to children while at the same time telling the kids how they're being kept safe, Metz said. They should assure kids, "We love you, we're going to protect you, and we're going to be extra vigilant."

How to help

Anyone with information can call 911 or 88-CRIME (882-7463).

Contact reporter Tim Steller at tsteller@azstarnet.com or 807-8427.

Specially trained FBI profilers have been called to aid in the search for a Tucson girl missing for five days, an incident the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is calling the country's highest-profile case.

Tucson police have also contacted law enforcement agencies in Arizona and across the nation to discuss "cases that are similar or have a similar M.O.," police Lt. Matt Ronstadt said Tuesday night. Other agencies have contacted Tucson police to share cases that are similar and ongoing, he added, declining to elaborate.

Police also said Tuesday that the search of a landfill has ended with no clues found there about the disappearance of 6-year-old Isabel Celis.

Also, the massive search for the missing girl will be scaled back by this morning as police now focus on the investigation aspect of the case, which has generated more than 250 leads.

At its height, about 250 law enforcement officers searched for the first-grader, but those numbers have dropped to about 20 officers still searching the neighborhood, said Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor. Another 30 are working on investigative leads.

"It's a transition of phases. The first part is purely the search, the immediate search," Villaseñor said. "We will continue aspects of that. However, as time goes by and we've searched all the areas that we can think of … then we start phasing in the investigative part."

The FBI behavioral analysts, who in part help profile possible suspects in crimes against children, might "tell us what we're looking for," as police explore more than 100 leads each day about Isabel's whereabouts, said Villaseñor.

The FBI analysts went into the Celis home Tuesday night "to get their own firsthand perspective," Ronstadt said.

Villaseñor said the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has labeled Isabel's case high profile because of the urgency and the lack of information "that points (police) in a definitive direction."

Isabel was last seen by her parents at 11 p.m. Friday when she was put to bed. Her father discovered she was missing the next morning, police said.

Police completed a search of the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road, at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday but would not comment on what was found.

The family, including Isabel's mother and father and two older brothers, was allowed to return to the home but it had not done so as of Tuesday afternoon.

Police confirmed that several dogs were in the home during the time of Isabel's disappearance but did not say what breed they are or whether they barked to alert the family to an intruder.

Landfill search done

Authorities also completed the search of the Los Reales Landfill on Tuesday, with 50 officers sifting through trash picked up in Isabel's neighborhood early Saturday. Officers did not use dogs in the landfill because of the overwhelming smells, Villaseñor said.

Officers continued visiting homes and questioning residents within a three-mile radius of Isabel's home and have made contact with 90 to 95 percent of people in those homes, Villaseñor said.

Volunteers have passed out 67,000 fliers since Saturday. Family friends are also preparing meals and shopping for food, clothing and other necessities while the family has been away from home.

Reward up to $6,000 offered

The anonymous tip line 88-CRIME is offering a reward of up to $6,000 for significant information about Isabel's disappearance.

An anonymous donor has given $5,000 and 88-CRIME is offering up to $1,000 toward the reward.

Police continue to call the case a suspicious disappearance or a possible abduction and are focused on finding Isabel unharmed.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed that we haven't found her at this point, but that doesn't mean we're giving up hope," Villaseñor said.

The story so far

First-grader Isabel Celis was reported missing from her midtown home Saturday morning. She was last seen about 11 p.m. Friday when she went to bed.

Police officers, assisted by other agencies, have searched a three-mile radius around her home as well as the city's Los Reales Landfill, which is about seven miles from the house. Authorities have made contact with nearly everyone who lives in that area, including 17 registered sex offenders.

Family and friends have distributed thousands of fliers with Isabel's picture and description. Several Facebook and Twitter pages are devoted to the search. Police have searched the Celis home and a vehicle. A reward has been offered for significant information about Isabel's disappearance.

FBI profilers are now assisting Tucson police in the case.

Reporter Carmen Duarte contributed to this story. Contact reporter Veronica M. Cruz at vcruz@azstarnet.com or 573-4224.

Fellow baseball players of Isabel Mercedes Celis' stood at attention on Field 2 at Freedom Park on Tuesday as the sun began to set.

They put their ball caps over their hearts and observed a moment of silence, praying for their friend - known to them as "Isa". Number 4 - her number - was on each player's uniform.

During that moment, Francisco Yslas, 7, said he was thinking: "For Isa to come back soon and safe."

The youngsters, along with other Freedom Little League players, joined 12 other teams in the league that took part in a moment of silence.

Freedom Park was where baseball players and their families last saw Isabel on Friday. She and her family arrived at the park, 5000 E. 29th St., at about 6:30 p.m. and remained until after 9:30 because her brother, Julian, was playing for the Yankees - the team their father, Sergio Celis, coaches.

The close-knit baseball families learned Saturday of Isabel's disappearance when police went to the park to see if she was there. Her team played at 9 a.m.

"That's when our world fell apart," said Rebecca Hanna, a Freedom Little League board member and close friend of the Celis family. "We want to help the players and the whole league cope with Isa's disappearance. We have been traumatized by it all."

At the vigil, as Isabel's team - the Coach Pitch Diamondbacks - tied purple ribbons to the ball field fence, tears formed in the eyes of parents, grandparents and community supporters. Purple is Isabel's favorite color, and her teammates also let purple balloons float into the sky.

Joe Vega, a friend of the Celis family, gave a message from Sergio Celis: "Thank you for all your support and prayers." Vega said the family could not attend the vigil, adding that they are experiencing the disappearance of their little girl as though it was the first day.

9 p.m. — Tucson police have contacted law enforcement agencies in Arizona and across the nation to discuss “cases that are similar or have a similar M.O.” to that of a missing girl here, police Lt. Matt Ronstadt said Tuesday night.

Other agencies have contacted Tucson police to share cases that are similar and ongoing, he added, declining to elaborate.

Also, FBI behavioral analysts went into the midtown home of missing 6-year-old Isabel Celis Tuesday night, "to get their own firsthand perspective," Ronstadt said.

4:15 — Police completed their search at the city landfill today, finding no clues to solving the disappearance of a missing Tucson girl.

About 50 officers spent two days searching Los Reales landfill for clues. The search was prompted after a weekend garbage collection in the area where the family of Isabel lives near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road. The child was reported missing from her home Saturday morning.

Chief Roberto Villaseñor still said after a news briefing at 4 p.m. that he cannot call the case an abduction, saying instead it is a suspicious disappearance.

Villaseñor said some 250 leads in the case have been pursued.

“Obviously I’m disappointed we haven’t found her at this point,” Villaseñor told reporters seeking an update in the investigations, which is now well into its fourth day. However, Villaseñor quickly followed that by saying he remains hopeful for a good outcome in the case.

Villaseñor said he was going to a briefing with FBI profilers this afternoon hoping to get their insight into the investigation so far.

He was stern in saying that new developments in the case cannot be expected to come on a particular schedule. 

FBI profilers to help find missing Tucson girl

12:30 — FBI profilers will be in Tucson this afternoon to begin working on the case of a missing Tucson girl, police said.

The behavior analysts who in part help develop a profile of possible suspects in crimes, might “tell us what we’re looking for,” Chief Roberto Villaseñor, told reporters at a news briefing today.

Villaseñor confirmed that the Celis family — parents Sergio and Becky Celis, as well as their two sons — were at home Friday, the last time Isabel was seen before she was reported missing Saturday morning. He said he did not believe anyone else was at the home Friday night.

The next police news conference is set for 4 p.m. today.

Day 4: Chief asks for more tips to help find Isabel

10:30 — Tucson’s police chief today pushed for the community to keep passing tips about a 6-year-old girl missing since Friday to police.

“No tip is unimportant to us,” Chief Roberto Villaseñor said this morning at one of the department’s regularly scheduled news briefings, which have recently revealed few new clues into the search for Isabel Mercedes Celis.

Police today, however, said Isabel’s case has been marked as the highest profile case in the country by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The national organization put Isabel at the top of its Facebook page, asking for anyone with a tip to call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).

Police also said behavior analysts from FBI were going to assist in the investigation.

Villaseñor said officers are continuing their search of the city landfill. He said a cadaver dog was not a part of that search because the smells would be overwhelming.

Earlier in the day police said the Celis family was allowed to return to their Tucson home on today, a day after police searched for clues at the home.

Day 4: Police scrutinize investigation of missing Tucson girl

8:30 a.m. — (From the news briefing at 8 a.m. today) The news briefing this morning in the case of missing Tucson girl was notable for the lack of new information provided about the search on the fourth day of the investigation.

Sgt. Marco Borboa said he did not know if Isabel Mercedes Celis, who the family says was last seen when she was put to bed about 11 p.m. Friday, went to school that day.

Similarly, Borboa confirmed the family has “several” dogs that were in the house Friday night, but he would not say whether the family said they were barking the night of the reported intrusion into the midtown home near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road. He would not say how many dogs nor their breed.

He would not say if any leads were developed from watching surveillance footage collected from cameras in the area.

Two search warrants have been served on the house and another on a family vehicle, Borboa said. The family can return to the home, but security is a concern.

Neighbors had not reported unusual activity near the family home before Isabel was reported missing, he said.

Police and the family have maintained an “open dialogue” throughout the investigation so far, Borboa said.

Some 100 new leads have been made to police each day of the investigation, but only two were reports of people saying they saw Isabel. Neither checked out.

Police this morning were combing over the investigation so far, reviewing interviews and the steps taken to try to find Isabel, Borboa said.

Tucson police plan to hold a news conference every two hours.

Tuesday's headline: Police still holding hope Isabel can be found alive

Authorities searched Monday in neighborhoods, sifted through trash in a landfill and questioned registered sex offenders as part of the investigation into a 6-year-old girl who went missing from her midtown home.

The search focused on a three-mile radius around Isabel Mercedes Celis' home. The first-grader was reported missing Saturday morning by her father when he went to wake her up in her room, police said.

The window to her bedroom was open and the screen was off when officers first went to the house in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and Craycroft Road.

Thousands of fliers with the young girl's picture on them have been distributed throughout Tucson and on the Internet through several Facebook and Twitter pages.

Tucson police Chief Roberto Villaseñor said the search has become a multiagency effort.

"Our main focus is finding Isabel and bringing her home safely," he said Monday afternoon at one of the press briefings given throughout the day.

Authorities were searching the Los Reales Landfill, about seven miles south of the Celis' home, said Lt. Fabian Pacheco, a police spokesman.

Villaseñor said the landfill search was based on the fact that there was a garbage pickup in the neighborhood Saturday morning before officers were able to search the area. Police determined where the trash was sent and secured the area within the landfill.

"This is normal protocol," Villaseñor said. "We don't know what we are dealing with. We can't leave that stone unturned."

He said the landfill search will resume this morning.

Authorities have been following up on more than 100 leads, Villaseñor said. Most of those leads - including several purported sightings - have been investigated, he said.

"Race against the clock"

The family of Isabel, known as "Isa," told police the child went to bed at 11 p.m. Friday, and when her father went to wake her up at 8 a.m. Saturday she was gone. The family did a quick search before calling 911 to report her missing.

"This has been a race against the clock since minute one. ... Obviously, the quicker you can get there the quicker you can locate things and follow things up, and usually you have more success," Villaseñor said. "Every hour that goes by is troublesome to us."

Villaseñor said Isabel's mother had left the house for work Saturday morning before anyone checked on the girl. The mother was called at her workplace, Tucson Medical Center, by Isabel's father and told that their daughter was missing, the chief said.

Other information police released Monday:

• Police have contacted businesses surrounding the neighborhood to view surveillance footage, but have not found anything pertinent to the investigation.

• There are 17 registered sex offenders living in a three-mile radius of her home and authorities have interviewed all of them.

• Isabel's family was not allowed to spend Saturday night or Sunday night in their home. Villaseñor said the family has been questioned extensively and they are cooperating with the investigation.

The Police Department obtained two search warrants for the Celis home, Villaseñor said. He said obtaining the warrants is crucial to conducting a proper investigation.

A second search warrant was obtained after FBI dogs - one an expert at detecting unknown scents, and the other cadavers - "alerted on some things in the house," Villaseñor said. He did not specify which dog alerted to what in the house.

• Border Patrol agents are assisting in the search. They are being used because of their expertise in searching desert areas and washes. The U.S. Marshals Service is also helping, as is the FBI.

• Villaseñor said nobody has been ruled out in the investigation. "Right now everyone involved is a person of interest for us," he said.

• Investigators are looking at whether the open bedroom window was a "point of entry."

"It's a potential point of entry. We're not saying that it was the point of entry," Villaseñor told the Star.

Reward will be offered

Police continue to label the case as suspicious and a possible abduction.

"We have every hope we'll find Isabel alive, and bring her back to her family," said police Lt. Matt Ronstadt during an evening briefing. "This is currently a search for a missing child, a missing girl."

An anonymous donor and 88-CRIME will offer a reward for information, Ronstadt said, but he didn't know the dollar amount.

Police have not released the names of Isabel's parents, saying they are considered victims. Friends have identified them as Rebecca and Sergio Celis. In addition to Isabel, the couple has two older sons. The family also has pet dogs, the chief said.

Family called "very close"

Neighbors described the Celis family as tight-knit and friendly to neighbors, pausing to say hello or chat while walking down the block.

"They're very close they're very loving, always with their kids," said David Pike, who lives on the same block as the family. "We would see them walking up and down the street with their kids, riding bicycles with their boys. Mom was always with the little girl."

Isabel was never seen without her family, Pike said. "I never seen her wandering around ... by herself. She was attached to Mom or Dad or the boys."

The Celis family moved into the neighborhood about four or five years ago to be close to Isabel's grandmother who suffered a stroke, he said.

Pike's 16-year-old son, Chris, helped one of Isabel's older brothers search the neighborhood when she was first noticed missing.

"I asked him what's wrong and he said his sister was gone and I said 'I'll go help you.' I looked around the whole neighborhood and the park," Chris Pike said. "There was a few times when he just fell to the ground and started crying and I never really thought I'd see him cry."

Isabel attends the Academy of Tucson's elementary school, and her brothers attend the academy's middle and high schools.

Family, friends and volunteers had posted more than 10,000 fliers with pictures of Isabel across the city by Sunday morning. Several websites and Facebook pages were created to draw attention to her.

Family statement

The family of Isabel Celis released this written statement Monday:

"We appreciate everyone's interest in finding our daughter, Isabel, and thank all the volunteers who have come out to search for her. We are cooperating fully with authorities, and are focused only on her safe return. We appreciate all your energy and efforts and continue to need the community's help. Please call TPD if you have any information. We love Isabel and will never give up finding her. Thank you for all your support."

How to help

Anyone with information on this case can call 911 or 88-CRIME.

About Isabel Celis

Isabel stands about 44 inches tall and weighs about 44 pounds. Her hair is light brown and her eyes are hazel. She is missing two of her front teeth. She was last seen with her hair braided into two braids. No information was available about the clothes she was wearing.

Kimberly Matas contributed to this report. To contact reporters: Veronica Cruz, vcruz@azstarnet.com, 573-4224; Carmen Duarte, cduarte@azstarnet.com, 573-4104.

The family of Isabel Celis released this written statement Monday:

“We appreciate everyone’s interest in finding our daughter, Isabel, and thank all the volunteers who have come out to search for her. We are cooperating fully with authorities, and are focused only on her safe return. We appreciate all your energy and efforts and continue to need the community’s help. Please call TPD if you have any information. We love Isabel and will never give up finding her. Thank you for all your support.”

About 400 people, many holding lit candles, prayed Sunday evening for a safe outcome in the disappearance of 6-year-old Isabel Mercedes Celis as the search for her continued for a second day.

Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor called her case suspicious and a possible abduction.

"We've used just about every resource we could find to try and locate Isabel," Villaseñor said at a news conference Sunday afternoon at a shopping center on the southeast corner of South Craycroft Road and East Broadway, where friends of the family gathered to pray.

Valerie Ballesteros, one of the vigil organizers and who works with Isabel's mother, said, "Children are a true blessing ... we have to give Isabel back to the Celis family."

Villaseñor said he could not provide new information on Isabel's case, but he said a multi-agency force had scoured a 2.5-mile radius looking for clues.

Investigators have "no definitive break-in" at the home, but they did locate some "suspicious circumstances surrounding a potential entry point," said Sgt. Maria Hawke, a Police Department spokeswoman.

Several search warrants were served at various locations, but Villaseñor declined to say what the searches revealed.

At this time, investigators are "not ruling out anything," Hawke said. She would not say if any materials were taken by investigators from the family's home.

Hawke did say there are "no names of suspects connected to this case."

Villaseñor said the investigation has not narrowed and that every possible scenario is being pursued.

Law enforcement teams have looked in buildings and in the open desert, conducting a "thorough, methodical search," and investigators are sorting through tips and leads, Villaseñor said. He said teams have revisited locations and have conducted interviews, but he declined to elaborate.

The search will continue today. Villaseñor said up to 250 officers worked on the case over the weekend.

Sex offenders living within a three-mile radius of Isabel's home have been interviewed by investigators, which is standard protocol, he said.

The family of Isabel, known as "Isa," told police the child went to bed at 11 p.m. Friday, and when a family member went to wake her up at 8 a.m. Saturday she was gone. The family did a quick search of the house before calling 911 to report her missing.

Isabel lives in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and Craycroft Road, with her parents and two older brothers. The family is cooperating fully with the investigation, said Hawke.

The Rev. Miguel Mariano, pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 215 S. Craycroft Road, where the family attends Mass, prayed with the family in solitude. "I assured the family they have the parish community's support and prayers. We are one with them in their time of distress," Mariano said.

The family is "emotionally distraught," and their faith is helping them through the ordeal, said Mariano. He described the family as "very quiet and private."

The schools that Isabel and her siblings attend will have counselors available to students, faculty, staff and parents, according to Bud Stewart, superintendent of the Academy of Tucson Schools.

Isabel attends the Academy of Tucson's elementary school, and her siblings attend the middle and high schools.

The schools will keep their schedule, and students and staff will not be interrupted, Stewart said in press release.

Scores of police officers scoured Isabel's neighborhood all day Saturday, stopping anyone who came or went and checking inside cars and trunks. They also handed out fliers with Isabel's photograph and asked neighbors to be on the lookout for her.

Family, friends and volunteers had posted about 10,000 fliers with a picture of Isabel across the city by Sunday morning. She is shown wearing a dark blue uniform, holding a recognition certificate from her school.

The FBI sent agents and an evidence-recovery team to help in the search. A special FBI search dog arrived Sunday from Quantico, Va., to help.

The U.S. Marshals Office is helping in the search, and the Arizona Department of Corrections sent bloodhounds. Both the Pima County Sheriff's Department and the multi-agency Rapid Response Team sent search-and-rescue personnel. The Tucson Fire Department provided equipment and personnel.

Authorities did not issue an Amber Alert on Saturday because they said they were uncertain whether the child was abducted or walked away from her home. Federal guidelines require that law enforcement confirm that a child has been abducted before issuing an Amber Alert; the fear is that false alerts will make people stop taking the system seriously.

Also, in an Amber Alert, authorities must have the identity of a suspect, a description of the vehicle the child is traveling in and the location of travel - none of which fits Isabel's case, Hawke said.

At the vigil, people prayed the rosary and consoled one another.

"Tonight when you go home, give your kids an extra hug, an extra kiss," organizer Ballesteros said.

Friends opened an account for the Celis family. Ballesteros said the public can donate money to the family through Tucson Medical Center at https://www.tmcaz.com/TMCFoundation/

David Andrews, a co-worker of Isabel's mother, said she takes care of everyone else's children, and that he and others came to support the Celis family.

"Isa, we're looking for you, baby girl. We love you," he said.

Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com

The intense search for a 6-year-old girl reported missing by her family continues into its second night, with Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor calling her case suspicious and a possible abduction.

The family of Isabel Mercedes Celis told police they put the girl down for bed at 11 p.m. Friday, and when they went to get her up at 8 a.m. Saturday she was gone.

“We’ve used just about every resource we could find to try and locate Isabel,” Villaseñor said at a news conference this afternoon.

Villaseñor said he could not provide new information on Isabel’s case, but he said a multi-agency force has scoured a 2.5-mile radius looking for clues.

Officials have located some "suspicious circumstances surrounding a possible entry point," Tucson Police Sgt. Maria Hawke said this morning.

Isabel lives in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and Craycroft Road, with her parents and two older brothers, police said. The family is cooperating fully with the investigation, Hawke said today.

Villaseñor said the investigation has not narrowed and that every possible scenario is being pursued.

Scores of police officers scoured her neighborhood all day Saturday, stopping anyone who came or went and checking inside cars and trunks. They also handed out fliers with Isabel's photograph and asked neighbors to be on the lookout for her. Posters passed out by family and volunteers had been posted across the city by this morning. Information is also being shared on Facebook.

An intense search continues today, Hawke said. Villaseñor said up to 250 have been working on the case over the weekend. Sex offenders living within three miles of Isabel’s home have been interviewed by investigators.

The FBI sent agents and an evidence recovery team. The U.S. Marshals Office sent people to help with the neighborhood search. The Arizona Department of Corrections sent bloodhounds. Both the Pima County Sheriff's Office and the multi-agency Rapid Response Team sent search-and-rescue personnel. The Tucson Fire Department provided equipment and personnel.

Authorities did not issue an Amber Alert on Saturday because they said they were uncertain whether the child was abducted or walked away from her home. Federal guidelines require that law enforcement confirm that a child has been abducted before issuing an Amber Alert; the fear is that false alerts will make people stop taking the system seriously.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

Tucson police are searching for a little girl who disappeared from an east-side home Saturday morning.

Isabel Mercedes Celis disappeared from a home in the 5700 block of East 12th Street, police said.

Isabel was last seen Friday night at about 11 p.m. when her parents put her to bed, said Sgt. Maria Hawke, a Tucson police spokeswoman.

The parents found out the girl was missing at about 8 a.m. when they went to wake her up, Hawke said.

Isabel is 6 years old, 44 inches tall and weighs 44 pounds, Tucson Police said. She has brown hair and hazel eyes.

Scores of police officers scoured the neighborhood throughout the afternoon, checking cars that entered the neighborhood and handing out fliers with the girl’s photograph.

Tucson police also received assistance from the U.S. Marshals, FBI and Arizona Department of Corrections, who used bloodhounds to trace the girl’s scent.

Police officers were trying to determine if the girl was abducted or if she walked away during the night, Hawke said.

Anyone who sees her or has any information is asked to call 911.