Author: Sonja Bennett-Bellamy
Officers accompany sheriff’s office with canvassing registered sex offenders under DPS supervision
As the search for a missing 13-year old girl from Robeson County intensifies, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers have come together to pool resources and maximize manpower as they search for Hania Noella Aguilar. On the morning of Monday, November 5, the teen was abducted from the driveway of her family home in the Rosewood Mobile Home Park in Lumberton as she waited outside for other family members. Twenty-four hours into the search, leaving no stone unturned, detectives from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office contacted NC DPS and asked for help with the search. The detectives specifically asked Community Corrections for help identifying any registered sex offenders in the area. Probation/Parole officers from the Lumberton probation office were ready to help.
“This story has gripped the headlines of both local and national news,” said Truman Raines, Judicial District Manager in the Lumberton Probation Office. “We were prepared to do whatever we could do to help with this search and with the support of our division office, we took action. After all, many of us have children of our own. This is a parent’s worst nightmare.”
On November 6, four probation officers teamed up with deputies from the sheriff’s department for the day-long search. The teams were briefed on last sightings and were dispatched armed with rosters of registered sex offenders known to be living within a three-mile radius of where the alleged abduction occurred. Probation officers were assigned to registered sex offenders currently under NC DPS supervision. Raines also queried offenders wearing electronic monitoring devices in the area.
Once contact was made with the sex offenders, officers interviewed them to determine whether they had any contact with the missing girl. By the end of the day, none of the searches located Hania Aguilar or gleaned any new information concerning her whereabouts. Local law enforcement will now determine whether to expand beyond the radius of their original search.
“We appreciate the good work done by our officers,” said Christopher Oxendine, deputy director of community corrections. “With operations of this nature, it’s so important to cross every ‘T’ and dot every ‘I’. Missing the smallest detail can mean the difference between finding this child and not finding her. We are always ready and willing to collaborate with fellow law enforcement because by working together, we cover more ground, and apply more resources; increasing our chances in solving this crime.”
Robeson County authorities are continuing their investigation with help from Lumberton Police, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Countless other community residents are standing watch for any clues that will help find Hania. Tips from local citizens have already led police to the green Ford Expedition believed to have been used in the abduction. They are also examining surveillance video of the area surrounding the Aguilar home for possible witnesses
