Family of missing mom speaks in emotional Mother’s Day interview

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Missing mother of three, Erica Hernandez, vanished three weeks ago.

Since then, she’s missed her son’s 16th birthday and now Mother’s Day.

Hernandez’s sister, Ashley and her two older children Dennis, 16, and Briza, 19, sat down with ABC13 on what has been one of their toughest days.”Life goes on, but it really doesn’t for us,” Briza said as a tear rolled down her cheek. “You know, our main focus is to just keep searching for her. To keep looking for clues, and keep spreading her story around because we are not going to stop.”

Erica is a 40-year-old Houston-native. Her family said that she’s a loving daughter, sister, mother, aunt and friend.

“She’s a very caring, loving person. Even though me and my sister can be annoying to her sometimes,” her son Dennis said jokingly. “She still finds a way to bring joy to the situation and lift us up any possible way.”

Erica is a single mother who works full-time to care for her three children. She even donates plasma twice a week, trying to bring in extra money.

She was reportedly out delivering meals to loved ones on the day of her disappearance, according to her family.

“She just wasn’t the type to just say, ‘Oh, okay. I’m not coming back,'” Briza said. “I just like to reiterate that something has had to have happened for her not to be here today.”

It’s been 21 days since Erica was last seen leaving her friend’s house in southwest Houston around 2:30 a.m. on April 18.

Erica was driving her 2020 black GMC Acadia with Texas plates MKJ 3303 with an “Aggie Mom” decal on the back.

ABC13 also learned that Hernandez sent a text message to her friend around 3 a.m. letting her know she was, “five minutes away from getting home.”

According to Houston Police, Erica was spotted in her vehicle near south Post Oak and Court Road early Sunday morning, but family has not seen any surveillance video or evidence of the sighting.

At some point after that, authorities said her cell phone and her car’s OnStar connection stopped sending location signals.

“There’s no trace of her,” her sister Ashley said. “No activity on her account. There’s no sighting of her vehicle specifically, you know. That’s a crime.”

This week, the search shifted to a park in Missouri City.

Investigators found a truck, but it was not connected to her case.

Houston police have not ruled out foul play, but with Erica and her SUV still missing, investigators and the FBI said they do not have much information to go on.

Her family said they are not going to give up.

They have set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses for the search, fliers and to support her three children who are still trying to finish school and go to work through all of this.

“I’d like to say if you’re watching this, just know that we love you,” her daughter said. “We’re not going to stop. No matter what it takes.”

Anyone with information on Erica Hernandez’s whereabouts or her vehicle is asked to contact the HPD Missing Persons Unit at 832-394-1840 or Texas EquuSearch at 281-309-9500.

Family and friends are also providing search updates on the Let’s Find Erica Hernandez Facebook page.