Missing Erica Hernandez's Son, 3, Looks for Mom as Her Car Was Found in a Pond with Body inside

The 3-year-old son of the missing Houston mother, Erica Hernandez, keeps asking for his mom as authorities recently pulled her SUV car out of a pond with a body inside.

The search continues for Erica Hernandez, and her family, especially her young son, hopes to find some closure. In an interview with KHOU, Erica’s sister, Ashley Hernandez, opened up about how the family handles the disappearance.

While speaking to correspondent Lauren Talarico, Ashley revealed that Erica’s son has no idea that his mom has gone missing and keeps asking for her whereabouts from other family members.

The grieved sibling recalled the 3-year-old speaking to his grandmother after seeing a magnet on his grandmother’s car and asking when his mom would return home. She explained:

“I mean, he was still asking for her just a few days ago. Is she coming back? When is she coming? She (his grandmother) just tells him, ‘She’ll be back later.’”

Ashley’s revelation comes shortly after the Houston Police Department made a new lead in the case. In a news conference update on Tuesday, the authorities shared that they recovered Erica’s SUV.

The Houston mother-of-three was declared missing on April 18 after she was seen leaving a friend’s home.

According to Officer Kevin, divers pulled Erica’s car out of a pond close to the intersection of Reflection Bay and North Clear Lake, with a body found in it. The license plate of the vehicle matched that of Erica’s.

Although condolences have been sent to the Hernandez family, who was present at the pond’s location, the body still has to undergo an autopsy and positive identification before announcing that it belongs to Erica.

While speaking to the media, the Houston Police confirmed that investigation by the FBI led them to the water body in Pearland, where they observed a sign of a vehicle hitting the curb and entering the pond.

Authorities believe the car has been in the pond for quite a while. While speaking to the media, Ashley revealed that the Pearland pond isn’t a familiar location for their family, so they need to find out what Erica was doing there.

The Houston mother-of-three was declared missing on April 18 after she was seen leaving a friend’s home in southwest Houston around 2:30 am. 30 minutes after her departure, she texted her family that she was 5 minutes away.

However, that was the last that was heard of Erica. The single mother reportedly worked full time to provide for her kids and was recognized in the community for donating plasma twice a week to make extra earnings.

Before visiting her friend’s home, Erica’s last known image was captured by a doorbell camera at her brother and sister-in-law’s home. She was described as a loving person who always put her children first.