Police release 911 call that prompted search for missing mom, kids

DELTONA, Fla. — Channel 9 has obtained the 911 call that set off the search for the bodies of a missing Deltona mother and her two children.

Investigators continued searching Thursday for the bodies of Yessenia Suarez, 28, and her two children, Michael Otto, 8, and Thalia Otto, 9.  The three disappeared from their Deltona home Oct. 23.

On Thursday, officials released the 911 call from Suarez's mother, who called authorities when she hadn't heard from her daughter, knowing that she had been fighting with her husband.

After the call, a missing person's alert went out and lasted about a day before officials told Channel 9 the mother and children were dead.

Volusia County Sheriff's officials set up a command post at the Duke Power plant on Debary Avenue in Deltona and deputies said about 40 searchers are looking in a heavily wooded area to the south of the victims' residence.

On Thursday, search crews turned their efforts to swamps near Lake Monroe and wooded areas near the Suarez's house.

Investigators said they have exhausted all of their leads, so they're expanding their search areas and calling in more departments to help.

"We've searched areas first that we thought had the greatest potential and there was reasons that led us to those areas and now what we're doing, is we're starting back at the center, back at the house," Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said.

Volusia County along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Seminole and Lake counties devoted resources to the search.

"We've seen far too often where in a case like this there was no recovery made and anything we can do in our power to make the recovery, so at least they can have closure," Johnson said.

Suarez's husband, Luis Toledo, 31, has confessed to killing Suarez, according to investigators, but he denied killing the children.

Toledo has not been cooperating with authorities and has refused to tell them where Suarez's body is. He has been charged with second-degree murder in her death.

According to investigators, Toledo implicated someone else in the deaths of the children, but no additional charges have been filed.

On Oct. 24, sheriff's investigators said the woman and children were dead, although they had not located their bodies at the time.

Toledo told investigators that he killed Suarez when he hit her in the throat, following an argument.

Sheriff's officials said the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, Lake County Sheriff's Office and Volusia County Fire Services will aid in the search.

"None of us look at a happy ending of this thing. That's the sad part," said Johnson.

Investigators said they have a sufficient number of searchers and don't need volunteers at this time. They did ask that anyone in the area where the family lived who sees anything suspicious call the sheriff's office.

WFTV