Reward increased to $30K in search for missing 12-year-old Hall County girl

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HALL COUNTY, Ga. - Law enforcement officials are hoping an increased reward may help their desperate search for a 12-year-old Gainesville girl who has been missing for two weeks.

Maria Gomez-Perez was last seen around 10 a.m. May 29 at her home on Westside Drive in Gainesville. Her family says they have not heard from her since she disappeared.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said that he considered the girl to be "in danger."

Missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez 'in danger'

Authorities in Hall County say 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez is in danger. She has been missing from her Gainesville home since May 29. Investigators are hoping an extensive search and a reward will help get answers.

"There are so many possibilities of where she could be and what could’ve happened to her," Couch said. "I do consider her in danger, very much so."

To help with the search for Gomez-Perez, an anonymous businessperson has donated $10,000 for information about her disappearance. With the new donation, the reward now stands at $30,000.

"As investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies push forward in efforts to locate Maria, I am again thankful for another outpouring of support with the extra reward funding," Sheriff Gerald Couch said. "Someone in the community has that single clue or piece of information that could lead to Maria. I pray this increased reward is encouragement for
them to come forward."

Search for Maria Gomez-Perez

Update on missing 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez

About two hours ago, law enforcement officials held a news conference about the disappearance of 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez in Hall County. The hall county sheriff's office now says they believe she is in danger.

More than 70 people have been officially involved in the investigation, including members of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Homeland Security and the Consulate of Guatemala.

Couch said they have distributed 50,000 fliers and have placed digital billboards on four heavily-traveled roads around the county.

Officials believe Maria may have made contact with someone outside the home on the day of her disappearance, but they don't know who that person was. Investigators have downloaded data from several phones associated with Maria and have combed her social media for clues.