$5,000 REWARD OFFERED BY CAROLE SUND/CARRINGTON FOUNDATION FOR SAFE RETURN OF MISSING VENTURA TEEN BELIEVED TO BE IN MEXICO WITH FUGITIVE

A private organization, the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation, is offering a $5,000 reward for the safe return of a Ventura County teenager, Chioma Gray, allegedly taken to Mexico by a Ventura man, Joshua Tafoya. Tafoya was named in a federal criminal complaint with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution, after being charged in December 2007 by authorities in Ventura, California, with child stealing, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and car theft. The $5,000 will also be paid in exchange for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Tafoya. Gray is believed to have been taken across the U.S.-Mexican border by 20-year-old subject, Andrew Josh Tafoya. According to detectives in Ventura, Tafoya was released on December 12, 2007 from a Ventura County work furlough program, a sentence he served after being convicted for his illegal relationship with Gray. Upon his release, Tafoya allegedly stole a white 2008 Acura from a local dealership. The following day, Tafoya and the victim were reported missing; Tafoya from his home and the victim, from her high school in Ventura, California, where she attends in her sophomore year. The stolen vehicle, a white Acura with license plate number 6AXX928, was tracked crossing the U.S./Mexican border at San Ysidro by Customs Border Protection. On December 14, 2008, detectives with the Ventura Police Department obtained a warrant in Ventura County Superior Court for Tafoya, charging him with Section 278 of the California Penal Code (PC), Child-Stealing; Section 272(a)(1), Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor; and Section 10851 of the vehicle code, Theft of a Vehicle. In addition, the victim's family filed a missing person report with the United States Consulate office in Tijuana, Mexico. On December 31, 2007, the FBI obtained a federal arrest warrant after Tafoya had been charged by criminal complaint with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. To date, relatives and family members have not seen or heard from either Tafoya or the victim, who took nothing to school the morning she was reported missing that would indicate potential flight. Investigators are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who have distributed material to law enforcement in the U.S. and Mexico in an effort to locate Tafoya and the victim. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the victim or Tafoya is urged to contact the Ventura Police Department, the FBI or their local law enforcement agency immediately. In Los Angeles, the FBI may be contacted 24 hours a day at 310 477-6565. Reward money has also been offered by the FBI. Information will be afforded confidentiality and callers may request anonymity. A description of Tafoya and Gray are listed below and their photographs are available by contacting the FBI in Los Angeles at the below-listed contact numbers. Subject: Last: TAFOYA First: ANDREW Middle: JOSHUA Race: White (Hispanic) Sex: M Height 6' Weight 190 Hair Black Eyes Brown Age: 20 Victim: Last: Chioma First: Ezronesha Middle: Gray Race: Black Sex: F Height 5'4" Weight 115 Hair Black Eyes Brown Age: 15 The Foundation has issued the following statement to accompany this announcement: CAROLE AND JULI SUND AND SILVINA PELOSSO WERE THE THREE WOMEN SIGHTSEERS WHO WERE MISSING AND LATER FOUND MURDERED NEAR YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK IN FEBRUARY OF 1999. WHILE THEY WERE MISSING, CAROLE SUND'S PARENTS, FRANCIS AND CAROLE CARRINGTON, AT THE REQUEST OF THE FBI, POSTED REWARDS BOTH FOR THEIR SAFE RETURN AND FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF THEIR RENTAL CAR. THE CARRINGTONS BELIEVE THAT THE POSTING OF THESE REWARDS AND THE MEDIA ATTENTION THEY RECEIVED, CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAR BEING LOCATED AND GAVE THEM THE FIRST BREAK IN THEIR CASE. THEY WERE THANKFUL THAT THEY HAD THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO OFFER THESE REWARDS AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS THAT THEY STARTED THE CAROLE SUND/CARRINGTON FOUNDATION. THIS FOUNDATION WAS ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST FAMILIES SUCH AS THE FAMILY OF CHIOMA GRAY WHO ARE IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AS THE CARRINGTON'S IN THAT CHIOMA IS A MISSING PERSON. THE CAROLE SUND/ CARRINGTON FOUNDATION IS OFFERING A $5,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE SAFE RETURN OF CHIOMA. A REWARD WILL ALSO BE PAID FOR THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF THE PERSON/PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIMES ASSOCIATED WITH HER DISAPPEARANCE. WE KNOW THAT REWARD MONEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THE FOUNDATION'S REWARD MONEY HAS ALREADY ASSISTED IN THE LOCATION OF NINE MISSING PERSONS AND THE APPREHENSION OF 37 MURDER SUSPECTS, AND 3 KIDNAPPERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN, AND ONE SUSPECT CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A PEACE OFFICER. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 37 SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY IN TEN STATES. TO DATE THE FOUNDATION HAS PAID A TOTAL OF $262,600 IN REWARDS TO CITIZENS WHO DID THE RIGHT THING BY COMING FORWARD AND SHARING THE INFORMATION THEY HAD REGARDING THESE CASES. WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO OUR PART TO HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A SAFE PLACE. TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS EFFORT, PLEASE CALL 1-888-813-8389 AND DONATE TO THE FOUNDATION'S REWARD FUND. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS CASE, CALL LEANE BLEVINS WITH THE FBI, VENTURA RA. Contact: Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation: Christina Barron, Victim Advocate: 1 888 813-8389 Laura Eimiller: 310 996-3343, Vickie Hampton-Franklin: 310 996-3342 or Lourdes Arocho: 310 996-4402 (Spanish Speaker) Ventura County Police Department: Public Information Officer Sergeant Jack Richards: 805 339-4400