Looking For Lily: Investigation Heats Up For Lily Aramburo

When first hearing about missing mother, Lily Aramburo, her little son, Palden, was not even a year old, only a baby.  Remembering his first birthday, and second, and can't believe that he is now 4 years old and being raised by his grandmother, growing up too fast without knowing his mother.


To see that a new detective is being assigned to the case is like breathing fresh air! A new set of eyes and a new direction is what this case needed, in my opinion.  Lily's friends and family have done every kind of awareness campaign available, taking all the necessary steps to keep Lily's case out there, but without the help of an active investigation, there have been no answers.  Now, there is hope.


Facebook Support Page for Lily Aramburo:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Find-Lily-Aramburo/193954499815


From CBS Miami:




Lucely Saldina says she is not giving up, she is determined to find her daughter.

It has been more than three years since Lily Aramburu vanished, and nowMiami-Dade Police tell CBS4 that they are stepping up their involvement in this troubled case, and they are also asking for the public’s help.

Aramburu was 23 when her boyfriend says he last saw her leaving their apartment not far from the Dadeland Mall. She has not been seen since.

“Lily represented everything that I knew that was good to me and always wanted,” said Saldina, whose Dania Beach apartment is filled with photos of her daughter and her grandson, Palden.

Palden, 4, now lives with Saldina.

“She represented happiness to me,” Saldina told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench, as she fought back tears. “Hope is always there. I just want to find out if she is out there. Is she alive?”

Bud Aramburu had a problem.

“She was involved with drugs but was getting her life together,” Saldina said. “She was going to drug court and she had everything to live for.”

Her little boy, Palden, was just 6 months old when she disappeared.

“The baby meant everything to her, she has a reason to stay alive,” Saldina said. “But I am realistic enough to realize that she may not be alive… I know somebody out there knows something.”

While there are no clues as to what might have happened, Saldina said “I know that Lily did not just disappear. She is a human being. She is a daughter and a mother. And that must be respected.”

Saldina and Private Investigator Joe Carrillo have been circulating flyers describing Aramburu; she was 4-feet and 11-inches tall and weighed just 100 pounds. Her hair is brown and her eyes are hazel. She has pierced ears, a scar on her left hand and a scar on her lower abdomen. And she has two large, distinctive music symbols tattooed on her lower back.

Aramburu also had previously broken her right wrist and back.

Aramburu also has a medical condition and may need medication.

Carrillo said some key, potential witnesses have not come forward.

“We’ve attempted to speak to them,” Carrillo said. “And when you’re asking for help from people who know her and they won’t help, that raises some big red flags. I think there’s people out there who know who they are. We’ve managed to identify two groups of people who are of interest to police.”

D’Oench also spoke to the lead detective in this case Ray Hoadley who has just been assigned to this case.

Hoadley has been a detective for 25 years with Miami-Dade and says that it is too early to have additional details in this cold case.

“We’d like anyone who is in her circle of friends or anyone who was around her at the time she disappeared to come forward,” said Hoadley.

“There’s some people out there who we have made contact with. I don’t know if they are deliberately trying to avoid us or whether it’s just that they are out of town,” Hoadley said.

“Are you eager to solve this case?” asked D’Oench.

“Absolutely,” Hoadley answered.

Saldina’s daughter has been featured on billboards and posters statewide since 2007, and Saldina says she welcomes the stepped-up efforts by Miami-Dade Police.

“Solving this would mean closure,” Saldina said. “It would mean answers. Answers for my grandson when he asks what happened to his mother.”

Anyone in the public who knows anything about this case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305 471—tips.


Other Current News Stories about Lily..........


http://justiceinmiami.blogspot.com/2011/01/lily-in-news-thank-you-cbs4.html


http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2011/01/police_suspect_missing_mom_lil.php

Lilly Aramburo, Someone Finally Takes Notice

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2008-09-11/news/missing-person-lilly-aramburo/






The above link will take you to an article written in a local Miami paper called Miami New Times. Columnist Fransico Alvarado has finally taken the bait handed to almost every columnist in Miami for the last year. Someone has finally taken an interest in reporting about missing mother Lilly Aramburo.

As I have written in previous entries, this case speaks to my heart and I feel I have gotten to know Lilly through contact with her friend, Janet Forte. Several of us online have worked diligently over the last 6 months trying to help Janet get attention for Lilly and her case, trying to get someone, anyone to speak to the public in Miami about it. Finally, it has happened.

Although I knew the extent of Lilly's drug use, I think it was given a little too much ink in this article. It doesn't matter what the character of a missing mother might be, the fact remains that she is still missing and there is a child left behind who loves her and deserves answers.

It is also telling that this reporter had no problem getting interviews with the major players in this drama. Christen Pacheco and Kelly Starling seemed to be willing to talk. I don't feel that what they had to say to Mr. Alvarez was the complete truth, but it does show us that MDPD has not followed up with these two, they have yet to be brought in to answer the hard questions of what happened that fateful night a year ago in June.

Anytime you can get publicity of a missing person into the hands of the public is good, no matter how it is written, the news is finally out there, her picture is finally in print, and that is good news for all of us who have an interest in seeing justice for Lilly Aramburo.

I hope the next article we see will shed even further light on the facts of the case. I hope that it will be more informative about what really happened and not a trip down memory lane with Christen and Kelly talking about the "good old days" of doing drugs, sleeping in punk houses, and roaming the streets of Miami. I hope that the next article written will show MDPD doing their job, asking the hard questions, and getting the whole truth to the citizens of Miami.

You never know when it could be your loved one missing next. Wouldn't you like to know that they are treated equally under the law?