San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Dozens join missing toddler’s family for vigil
Mariesol Gomez is questioning whether there was more she could have done leading up to the disappearance of her greatnephew, James Avi Chairez.
She shared her thoughts as she fought back tears in front of a group of 60 people at a Friday evening prayer service at Resurrection of the Lord, 7990 W. Military Drive.
“If I would’ve tried a little bit harder, maybe we wouldn’t all be here today,” Gomez said.
“I’m still trying to find answers for him,” she said, adding, “know that I love him with all my heart.”
James has been missing for months. He was last seen Jan. 4 with his mother, D’Lanny Chairez, on security footage at a Walgreens in the 7100 block of Marbach Road. He was 18 months old at the time. Gomez hasn’t seen him since Thanksgiving.
“I don’t sleep because my mind is constantly running, thinking of the ‘what if’ or ‘what happened,’ ” Gomez said. “It’s just a lot of questions.”
The service at the Catholic church was held less than a mile away from the mobile home park where human remains were discovered April 28 in the Chairez home.
The remains haven’t been identified.
Gomez said the detectives told her DNA is being used to identify the remains, which could take another week or two, but that determining the cause of death could take months.
“A piece of my heart is still holding on that it’s not James,” Gomez said.
Chairez and James were first reported missing in February, but Chairez was found March 15 and arrested the next day on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. The charge has since been replaced with two counts of tampering with evidence.
Her bail was reduced from $250,000 to $150,000, but she remains in the Bexar County Jail.
During the vigil, family members wore gray shirts emblazoned with three images of James and his name. Yellow roses were handed out, and a slideshow of photos of James played as the sun set.
Gomez described him as a “good little boy” who was happy and didn’t deserve whatever had happened to him. She said she could’ve been more persistent with Chairez when asking to see James.
Nina Glass, co-director of Search and Rescue San Antonio, was among the speakers who read Bible verses in hopes of offering comfort to the family.
“Those who love Jesus and follow him will see baby James again, it says so here, John 16:22” Glass said. “So with you now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take your joy.”
Glass and the nonprofit search group helped Gomez search the mobile home after Gomez found a cellphone. Gomez said the phone belonged to Chairez. The group’s search was held a couple of days before police found the human remains.
In an interview after the vigil, Glass said there was an odor searchers associated with a dead body surrounding the home, along with a large amount of trash and mothballs.
The remains were found during the police department’s second search of the home. In March, they had searched the mobile home and found a crib sheet with blood on it, along with a car seat, stroller, diapers and toys, according to Chairez’s arrest affidavit.
Police wouldn’t say why they had returned to the trailer or where they found the remains.
There have been no charges filed in connection with the remains. Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales said the case will be reviewed once his office receives evidence from the police.
Chairez is set to go to trial June 16.