Missing Seattle woman, Marisela Botello Valadez, may be victim of ‘foul play,’ Dallas police say

Dallas police said Thursday that a Seattle woman who went missing in Dallas over two months ago may have been the victim of “foul play” and asked again for leads in her case.

Marisela Botello Valadez, 23, was last seen Oct. 5 in Deep Ellum. Police reclassified her disappearance last month from a “want to locate” case to an “endangered missing” case because Botello hadn’t used social media or contacted her family or friends.

A police spokeswoman said the case had been turned over to the department’s Special Investigations Unit but didn’t answer questions about whether investigators have new evidence in the case and whether police still believe Botello is alive.

Lt. Eric Roman told reporters last month he believed Botello was alive and remained optimistic about reuniting her with her family but said he wouldn’t “speculate as to her condition.”

He urged anyone with information to speak up.

“We need the help from the public. We need the help from the community,” he said at the time. “No matter how minuscule you think your information might be, this is a big puzzle.”

Botello was in Dallas visiting a friend and later missed a flight home to Seattle, police have said. She was last seen with a man named Charles Beltran, who police have said is not a suspect in her disappearance but is considered a person of interest.

Police said last month that neither Beltran nor his vehicle, a black 2014 Audi A6 with Texas license plate MJG-3114, had been seen since Oct. 5, when Botello went missing.

Botello is described as a Hispanic woman who is 5-2 and about 115 pounds, with dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. She was last wearing a metallic purple dress, and she has a distinctive mole on the middle of her neck, as well as tattoos on her left side and right hand.

Anyone with information about the case may contact Detective Christine Ramirez at 214-671-3668 or christine.ramirez@dallascityhall.com and reference case No. 177834-2020.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information in this case, police said. Tips can be shared anonymously by calling 214-373-8477.