Amber Alert issued for 6-year-old, mother believed abducted from Cumming

Rachel Zecena, 6, and her mother were believed to have been taken against their will by the girl's father. Anyone who sees the child is asked to call 911.

Credit: Cumming Police Department

Credit: Cumming Police Department

Rachel Zecena, 6, and her mother were believed to have been taken against their will by the girl's father. Anyone who sees the child is asked to call 911.

Authorities activated an Amber Alert on Tuesday for a 6-year-old metro Atlanta girl and her mother believed to have been abducted by the girl’s father.

The alert, known as a Levi’s Call in Georgia, was issued on behalf of the Cumming Police Department. According to the GBI, Balvanera Esperanz Parada-Olivas, 45, and her daughter, Rachel Zecena, were last in contact with loved ones between 5 and 6 p.m. Sunday.

The child’s father, 55-year-old Alexis R. Zecena-Lopez, may have taken the two against their will after a previous domestic incident, authorities said. Police believe he may be armed.

According to Cumming police Chief David Marsh, Forsyth County sheriff’s deputies arrested Zecena-Lopez in August and charged him with rape and kidnapping in connection with an incident involving Parada-Olivas. Marsh said Zecena-Lopez was out on bond this weekend when he allegedly abducted his daughter and ex-wife.

Police say Zecena-Lopez cut off his ankle monitor sometime Sunday evening, and the tracking device last pinged in Cobb County.

Marsh confirmed that Zecena-Lopez’s last known location was his house in Cumming, where Parada-Olivas had contact with him Sunday evening.

“She went to go pick up her daughter, and no one has seen or heard from either one of them since,” the police chief said.

Police received the missing persons report Monday, which started their investigation and led to the department issuing the Levi’s Call later in the day.

They may be traveling in Parada-Olivas’ 2016 black Ford Focus with Georgia tag RVX9470. She is described as 5-foot-2 and 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Zecena-Lopez is described as 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

A spokesperson from the Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed reports that the hatchback was spotted going westbound on I-40 through Seligman in western Arizona on Tuesday. Arizona state troopers believe the vehicle may be headed to California.

Balvanera Esperanz Parada-Olivas, 45, and her 6-year-old daughter are believed to be traveling with the girl's father, Alexis R. Zecena-Lopez. 55. Authorities believe they were taken against their will.

Credit: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

icon to expand image

Credit: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cumming police at 770-781-3087 or via email at info@cummingpd.net.

“We are working really closely with the U.S. Marshal’s Office and some other federal agencies to try to track them down,” Marsh said. “Unfortunately, we just haven’t had any success yet. But we’re still working.”

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.