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Man charged in death of missing mother agrees to meet with pastor

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The man at the center of the investigation into the deaths of a missing mother and her children has agreed to a meet with a pastor, Channel 9's Blaine Tolison has learned.

Volusia County officials said Luis Toledo, who is charged with murder in the death of his wife Yessenia Suarez, 28, has agreed to meet with a pastor. Officials said they are working to facilitate a meeting.

Deltona Pastor Heber Lopez, with the Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church in Deltona, was at the jail late Monday morning with Ruben Perez, stepfather of Suarez. But Tolison could not confirm the pastor would meet with Toledo.

Lopez is the pastor of the family of Suarez. She and her two children, Michael Otto, 8, and Thalia Otto, 9, have been missing for almost three weeks.

Investigators said Toledo admitted to killing Suarez, but said he did not kill the children. Investigators said Toledo has refused to tell them where Suarez's body is.

While Lopez was at the jail, members of the Texas EquuSearch group were back out helping in the search for the bodies of Suarez and her children.

They have been searching in several wooded and rural areas of DeLand and Deltona. The group plans to expand their search and continue to evaluate new potential search locations.

"We are a little bit more thorough when our searchers are out today and we are doing some more recon and some more mapping," Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller said on Sunday.

Suarez and her children have been missing since Oct. 23. The three disappeared after a domestic violence incident in Lake Mary involving Toledo. He was initially arrested for domestic battery, but is now facing a second-degree murder charge and is being held on no bond at the Volusia County Jail.

Family and friends gathered for a vigil Sunday night.

"We are in so much pain, but the pain is shared by the community, by the friends we have here tonight," said Ruben Perez, the stepfather of Suarez.

Felicia Perez, Suarez's mother, said the support from strangers gives her comfort and it's what keeps her moving forward.

"It makes us feel good that everybody is helping in this search for my daughter, my grandkids. Is this what I wanted? No, but it helps us feel good," Perez said.

Texas EquuSearch has worked with law enforcement on searches in other high-profile missing persons cases in central Florida, including Jennifer Kesse, Tracy Ocasio and Caylee Anthony.