On October 1, 1995, Lorena Ramirez and her spouse decided to treat their three children, consisting of two boys and a 3-year-old girl named Juana, to a delightful day at Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. Meeting up with their extended family, they eagerly embarked on an afternoon filled with leisurely walks amidst the park's stunning gardens and captivating visits to the zoo.

Unbeknownst to them, this seemingly ordinary outing would soon prove to be a turning point in their lives that would leave an indelible mark.

At 4:30 pm, as the group prepared to leave, they hugged and said their goodbyes. During this moment, Lorena accidentally released Juana's hand for a brief moment, and in that instant, Juana mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Lorena, driven by a strong feeling or her motherly instincts, was certain that her daughter had been taken away. She quickly approached a security guard nearby, begging him to close the gate, hoping that Juana and the person who took her were still within the park. However, the guard turned a deaf ear to her desperate pleas and chose to ignore her.

In a state of panic, the couple dialed the police right away to report Juana's disappearance. To their dismay, they were advised to wait for 72 hours in case the abductor would bring her back. However, as expected, that never occurred, and Lorena's heart shattered with each passing day. The grief they experienced was overwhelming and seemed impossible to overcome.

With the support of their family, friends, and neighbors, the couple embarked on their own search for their missing daughter. They distributed flyers and joined a foundation dedicated to raising awareness about missing children, hoping to gather any information.

Three-year-old Juana - who now goes by Rocío - is pictured around the time of the kidnapping

(Jam Press)

Sadly, their efforts proved fruitless as they couldn't locate their beloved daughter. As time passed, months turned into years, yet the police did not give Juana's disappearance the attention it deserved, and there was minimal media coverage of the case.

Despite having two more daughters, the couple's determination to find Juana never waned. Tragically, Lorena's husband passed away in 2020. Then, in June 2022, Lorena herself fell into a coma due to a severe case of Covid-19. Before losing consciousness, she entrusted her daughter Maria with a heartfelt request: to continue the search for Juana if she didn't survive.

Unbeknownst to Lorena, her prayers were about to be answered. In July, Lorena underwent a crucial surgery that saved her life. Just a month later, a miraculous event unfolded as she was reunited with Juana.

A woman named Rocio Martinez took to Facebook and shared a photo of a missing girl, expressing her belief that she was the same little girl in the picture. She earnestly appealed to the public for assistance in locating her biological parents.

By a stroke of fate, Maria came across Rocio's post and immediately contacted her. Just three days later, Maria and her siblings met Rocio face-to-face and a striking resemblance to their mother made it clear that Rocio was indeed their long-lost sister, Juana. In October 2022, a DNA test provided conclusive evidence, bringing 27 years of separation to an end. Lorena's heartfelt wish finally came true as she joyfully reunited with her daughter.

Lorena Ramírez and Rocío after they were reunited (Jam Press)

Juana shared a haunting recollection of the final day she spent with her family in 1995. She vividly remembered the unsettling sensation of an unfamiliar hand grasping her waist.

Antonio Martinez and Patricia Velazquez, who was seeking a child to abduct, spotted Juana's parents being preoccupied at Chapultepec Park. Seizing the opportunity, Antonio snatched Juana, drugged her, and forcefully placed her into their car. Devastated, her parents cried out her name in sheer terror while the abductors callously observed the distressing scene.

After several hours, Juana regained consciousness in an unfamiliar house located 50 miles away in Toluca. Antonio, Patricia, and their two sons were present around her. Overwhelmed by fear and disorientation, Juana expressed her desire to return home. However, Antonio informed the young girl that they were now her new parents and their sons were her new siblings.

They went as far as altering Juana's name to Rocio and fabricating a new birthdate, aligning it with the day they forcibly separated her from her family.

In many instances of child abduction, the individuals responsible are often unable to have children of their own and seek to fulfill their longing for parenthood. However, in this particular case, Antonio and Patricia were already parents to two children. They forcibly took Rocio away from her family not out of love and care, but with the intention to subject her to abuse and exploitation.

At the tender age of 7, Rocio was already burdened with responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning. If she failed to fulfill these tasks, her abductors would subject her to physical harm. Apart from attending school, Rocio was not allowed to venture outside or engage in playtime with her friends. At the age of 13, during an argument, Patricia callously revealed to Rocio that she was not her biological mother, claiming to have found her abandoned on the streets of Toluca and took her in out of pity.

When Rocio reached the age of 17, she made a brave decision to run away from the abusive environment and found refuge with her boyfriend, whom she eventually married. Together, they built a life and had two children of their own.

As the years passed, Rocio's husband encouraged her to embark on a search for her biological parents. Rocio confronted Patricia, and finally, the truth emerged. Patricia openly acknowledged that Rocio's actual name was Juana Bernal Ramirez and that she and Antonio had indeed abducted her from Chapultepec Park.

In a cruel twist, Patricia falsely claimed that Juana's biological parents were drug addicts who never wanted her. However, the truth was completely different from what Patricia had claimed.

Rocio stumbled upon a photo of Juana, which was featured on a missing children's website. Struck by the uncanny resemblance between the little girl and herself, as well as her own son, she couldn't help but exclaim, "I'm that girl," as she later recounted to the media. She shared the photo on social media and, after nearly three decades of separation, finally connected with her real family.

Describing the reunion as the happiest moment of her life, Lorena expressed her disbelief, saying, "I couldn't believe it. When I opened the door, I paused, and she walked in. That hug after 27 years... She looked at me and said, 'You are my mother.' I replied, 'Yes, and you are my daughter.'"

In addition to reuniting with her daughter, Lorena discovered that she had been blessed with two grandsons, aged 11 and 8.

Even though Rocio, now 30 years old, wasn't able to reunite with her father, she cherishes the memories she has of him from when she was just 3 years old. Those precious moments remain close to her heart. Over the past year, Rocio has been building connections and getting acquainted with her four older siblings, as well as her mother Lorena. This newfound family bond has brought Lorena a sense of tranquility and peace at last.

“Now I feel happy and blessed by God. Lost time with my daughter will never be recovered, but right now you have to live and enjoy the moment. Life is so short that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. We must live happily.” — Lorena Ramirez

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