Sacramento family seeks help in finding missing children Athena and Mateo Lee
By Maricela De La Cruz
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SACRAMENTO (KCRA) — Ahead of National Missing Persons Day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sacramento Police Department are intensifying efforts to find 5-year-old Athena Lee and 3-year-old Mateo Lee, who have been missing for more than a year and a half, as their family continues to hope for their safe return.
“Keep your eyes open and help us find our grandchildren,” said Dawn Bodea, a family member, as the Sacramento family continues to search for their missing loved ones without any new information or closure.
“Things are just a lot quieter now. We just miss them a lot. Our life is not as full; it seems more empty without them,” Bodea said.
Athena and Mateo were last seen shortly before their mother, 28-year-old Angelica Bravo, was found dead inside her ex-boyfriend’s home in North Sacramento, leaving investigators with a complex and ongoing case.
“What was complex about this case was we were waiting on a cause and manner of death for Angelica Bravo, so when Camron was missing, the kids were missing, we didn’t have a murder warrant for Camron at that time. What was difficult was he’s also the custodial parent for the kids, so we didn’t have a kidnapping case at that point,” said Anthony Gamble of the Sacramento Police.
Investigators believe Athena and Mateo are with their father, Camron Lee, who police say is the suspect in Angelica’s killing. With the children’s whereabouts still unknown, the FBI remains involved.
“We don’t know where the children are, so our reach is global, and certainly we want to bring them back where they may be,” said Gina Swankie of the FBI. “These children are changing rapidly. They may not even remember what happened that day, so they may be going about their everyday day-to-day lives.”
As time passes without any new details, Bodea said, “We think about them every day, we pray for them every day.”
Just two days away from Mateo’s fourth birthday, the family is holding on to memories.
Despite the lack of answers, the family is staying active on social media, hoping someone, somewhere, may recognize the children and speak up.
“I just really hope that if anybody does see—even if they think—that looks like it could be them, you know, just report it,” Bodea said.
At this time, Camron Lee faces charges for murder and possession of an assault weapon. A federal arrest warrant has also been issued for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Lee’s arrest, as well as an additional $25,000 for information that leads to the safe recovery of Athena and Mateo.
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