LAPD Urges Public Help Finding 4-Year-Old Girl After Father's Arrest

A desperate manhunt grips Los Angeles as police race to find a four-year-old girl who vanished moments after her mother was found murdered. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) launched an urgent search for Daleza Fregoso, who was last spotted Sunday morning at the intersection of Ferndale Street and Alsace Avenue in the Mid-City neighborhood.

Officers triggered the search after responding to a welfare call on South Alsace Avenue, where they discovered the body of Daleza's mother. Detectives immediately determined the woman died from violent assault and identified Daleza's father, Ruben Fregoso, 40, as a person of interest. Investigators soon uncovered a chilling detail: Ruben had made statements indicating his intention to flee the country.

The LAPD issued an Amber Alert on Monday, urging residents to scan for a 2019 white Land Rover Discovery bearing a California license plate. While authorities located the vehicle in San Diego County, both the child and the suspect remain at large. Police have not yet clarified the specific relationship between Ruben and the missing girl, though they share the same surname.

The investigation has drawn sharp focus on the Robbery-Homicide Division, which is actively seeking public help to track down Ruben Fregoso. Daleza, who stands just 3 feet tall and weighs about 45 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. Officials admitted they do not know what clothes she was wearing when she disappeared.

Ruben Fregoso, 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing approximately 200 pounds, also has black hair and brown eyes. His last known address is a home on Alsace Avenue, near the scene where the mother's body was found and where the family was last seen. Police have withheld the mother's identity to protect the ongoing investigation.

An Amber Alert signifies that a child faces imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death. The acronym stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, a system where the California Highway Patrol (CHP) serves as the state's lead investigative agency since 2002. Most alerts involve parents, guardians, or relatives, but the stakes in this case are exceptionally high.

The community now faces a terrifying uncertainty as Ruben Fregoso potentially escapes to another nation with the missing child. The risk to families in the area is palpable, with investigators warning that the suspect's intent to flee suggests a calculated move to evade justice. The LAPD confirmed there are no new breakthroughs but emphasized that the case remains active, relying on citizen eyes to spot the suspect vehicle or the missing girl.