My New Case! Michaela Joy Garecht

I've been doing work with The Doe Network, NamUs, and The Charlie Project for over 10 years now. I take on new cases every 3 months or so.

Today I want to tell you about my new case...

Her name is Michaela Joy Garecht. She disappeared on November 19th, 1988. It was a sunny Saturday morning, the first day of Thanksgiving vacation, when Michaela and her best friend, Trina, asked if they could go to the neighborhood market to get some candy and sodas.  The market was only two blocks away. Michaela and Trina had left their scooters by the side door of the market while they went in and purchased some candy and sodas and beef jerky.  When they left the market, they started to walk home, completely forgetting that they had ridden the scooters there.  Halfway across the parking lot they remembered, and turned back to get them.

One of the scooters was not by the door where they'd left it.  Michaela spotted it first, about three parking spaces down from the door, next to a car.  She went to get it.  As she bent over to pick it up, a man jumped out of the car next to the scooter, grabbed her from behind, and threw her screaming into his car as Trina watched in horror.  He climbed in and started the car, drove out of the parking lot and took off driving erratically down the busy highway which is Mission Boulevard in Hayward.  Trina ran into the store for help.  The police were called.

The car the kidnapper was driving was described to police as a large, older model American-made Sedan, gold or tan in color, in ratty condition, and possibly with four-doors. The car may have had cement splattered on the sides, and lights set into the rear bumper. It was last seen speeding south on Mission Boulevard toward the nearby Union City border.

  

The abductor is described as having long, dirty blonde hair; a slender build; and a pockmarked or pimpled face. He was approximately 18-24 years old at the time of her abduction.

To this day no arrests have been made, and Michaela has never been found.

Michaela has prominent ears and her eyes slant slightly downward, these characteristics would be noticeable even if seen today.

I will work for the next 3 months to try to find this little girl and bring her family some peace... If you have any information about Michaela or the identity of her abductor, please contact me via this blog, you can also contact the Hayward Police Department at 011-(if you are outside the US)1-510-293-7272, and ask for Inspector Robert Lampkin, you can also email your information to him at robert.lampkin@hayward-ca.gov.