missing students found in florida

associated press ^ | 8.10.03 | BIPASHA RAY

[freepatriot32]

LOWELL, Mass. - Two college students who vanished from Cape Cod last month have been found safe and sound in Florida, leaving family members relieved but still baffled by the two-week mystery.

The family of 21-year-old Justin Gouveia of Lowell heard the news late Saturday morning as they were passing out leaflets in the Yarmouth area, where the couple was last seen.

``We talked to him, we heard their voices, we told them we love them and we'll just wait for them to come back,'' Leanne Gouveia, Justin's mother, said at a news conference later Saturday.

Justin Gouveia and Danela Alfaro-Lopez, 19, of Dearborn, Mich., both Michigan State University students, last were seen leaving a bed and breakfast in Yarmouth on July 26. They were expected to join Gouveia's family in Maine the following day but never showed up.

The two were found Saturday morning at the InTown Suites, an Orlando-area hotel, according to Elise Camille, a spokeswoman for the Orange County, Fla., sheriff's office.

Camille said an officer doing routine license plate checks in the hotel parking lot called in the couple's plate number. Two hours later, when the car was confirmed as missing, police returned to the hotel, where they found the couple in the process of leaving.

Camille said the two knew why they had been pulled over, and that they had not wanted to tell their parents they were going to Florida because they knew their parents wouldn't approve of the trip.

``They never used a cell phone or credit card. They used only cash,'' Camille said. ``I don't know, maybe they didn't want to be found.''

The couple had been in Florida for two weeks and were still in the hotel room Saturday afternoon, Camille said. No one picked up the phone in the couple's room Saturday.

The disappearance of the students, widely described as responsible and reliable, gained national attention. Relatives appeared on national television and the Web portal Lycos, Gouveia's grandmother's employer, posted information about the couple on its site and hired a private investigator.

Family members still seemed baffled by the disappearance. They said they did not know whether the couple had eloped.

``There had to be a good reason, granted we don't know that right now,'' Leanne Gouveia said. ``He's a very good kid, he's a young adult, we'll keep faith in him.''

Maria Alfaro-Lopez, a Wayne County assistant prosecutor, said her daughter had mentioned before she disappeared that she wanted to take some time off from school. She said she tried to discourage her daughter from doing that.

Law enforcement officials in Massachusetts and Michigan said the couple won't face charges, but Lowell police Deputy Supervisor Kenneth Lavallee said they want to talk to the couple when they return.

``There's a feeling of relief and gratification but there's also a sense of disappointment that both these young people would create a situation like this, put everybody through this ordeal,'' Lavallee said. ``A lot of man hours, money, time has been spent on this, it's very disconcerting to us.''

[freepatriot32]

``They never used a cell phone or credit card. They used only cash,'' Camille said. ``I don't know, maybe they didn't want to be found.''

I can almost bet that after thier parents get ahold o f them in cape cod they would wish they hadnt been found

[demkicker]

This might sound terrible to some, but I don't know if I could ever forgive my kid for putting me through such torture.

[dep]

This might sound terrible to some, but I don't know if I could ever forgive my kid for putting me through such torture.

now, now, now. surely you know that we are not responsible for our actions, any actions, ever. get pregnant? corkscrew the baby. get married? no-fault divorce on demand makes that trivial to dispose of (vows mean nothing, hadn't you heard?). ice a cop in philly and you'll get ed asner to come visit you. hell, in california, you can even un-vote!

so why shouldn't these irresponsible youngsters think they'll get a free ride, an appearance on good morning, america, and maybe a book deal?

dep

[bigfootbob]

"...I don't know if I could ever forgive my kid for putting me through such torture."

Sure you could. Especially after you get them home and introduce them to their own special hell.

[JRandomFreeper]

said her daughter had mentioned before she disappeared that she wanted to take some time off from school. She said she tried to discourage her daughter from doing that.

There is such a thing as burn-out. Sometimes folks need a vacation, and if your close relations won't listen to you, the best thing to do is walk away, and take care of your own needs. Sounds like Mom could have been more supportive of the kid's needs. I told my younger daughter that she needed a couple of years off between high-school and college. She was wrapped too tight. She's doing well, and plans on college in the fall.

the couple won't face charges, but Lowell police Deputy Supervisor Kenneth Lavallee said they want to talk to the couple when they return.

The students are adults, and if they are moving freely through society without breaking laws, it's none of the cop's business. Period.

/john

[JRandomFreeper]

but I don't know if I could ever forgive my kid for putting me through such torture.

I don't have to worry about it. My kids (both grown) don't feel compelled to run away because they are overwhelmed by familial pressure. They do have rules to follow if they want to be around me, but when they became adults, their decision were their own.

I won't help them do stupid stuff like buying a house they can't afford (I've been asked), but I do support them all out when they make a good judgment call.

/john

[Chad Fairbanks]

My question would be why resources were wasted searching for adults just because they didn't check in with mommy and daddy? Based on this short article, I can see no reason a 'missing persons' case could have been reasonably made..

[demkicker]

I'm disgusted that you are defending these self absorbed brats. Should you have any kids, it's a good chance they'll turn out just like these two.

[JRandomFreeper]

I have two adult children. Both are veterans (Navy and Army NG). I didn't interfere needlessly in their lives when they became adults. I darn sure didn't call the cops when they went away for a few weeks without talking to me about it.

/john

[anniegetyourgun]

Because of the potential for foul play?

[The KG9 Kid]

"Parents get a hold of them"?, "kids"?, "brats"?

Did you both miss the part of the story where they're 19 and 21 years old?

[Ditter]

Yes of course, everything you say is true. There is burnout, no one would listen. They are adults, very *thoughtless* adults. They will probably be parents some day I hope they get payback.

[Shooter 2.5]

Oops. I did the same thing when I was 21 years old. Instead of leaving Chicago for Wisconsin, my cousin and I took his family car and went to Colarado where his ex-girlfriend moved.

The huge difference is when we left, our parents knew we were going somewhere and we returned on the agreed time.

Other than putting a lot of miles on the car, the parents didn't suffer at all.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I don't know - I don't see anything in the articles about this case where foul play was really a consideration - maybe that info wasn't released publically.

What I see is two adults, with over-protective busybody parents who, realizing they had lost control of their "children", panicked...

Now, had something happened that caused concern that foul play might have occurred, I'd say it was reasonable. Buit based on the available info, I just don't see the reasonableness of it... :0)

[JRandomFreeper]

Because of the potential for foul play?

If a male and female 19 year old disappear for a couple of weeks, I would suspect some kind of play, but probably not foul.

What happened to the appropriate relationship with the parents? Why is mom quoted? Where is dad? Why did the kids feel a need to disappear without discussing it? Modern parenting sucks.

Set the rules early, enforce them early and evenly, and the child will not depart far from the path.

/john

[Sabretooth]

I totally agree.

At the age of 19 and 21 I think these two can take care of themselves, its not like they walked out without paying the bill at the bed and breakfast.

Although a phone call home wouldnt have killed them.

[Howlin]

They were expected to join Gouveia's family in Maine the following day but never showed up

They could have called; even halfway to Florida, they could have called.

BTW, these were college students; if the parents were paying, I'd say they still have a say in how they spend their money.

[JRandomFreeper]

Although a phone call home wouldnt have killed them.

That reminds me.... I need to call the kids to save them the long distance bill, and I need to call Mom so she knows I'm still alive. It is Sunday afternoon, after all.

/john

[anniegetyourgun]

Who knows. Just seems like they went missing unexpectedly. Now the parent(s) know they are fine. Age isn't really much of a factor when someone goes missing. If my elderly mom went missing, we wouldn't say - aw, she's an adult, not to worry. I'd wanna know if she just wandered into a bingo hall, or instead had accepted a ride with a stranger who rolled her for her cash and left her for dead somewhere.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I don't think these kids went missing unexpectedly - the parents seemed aware the "kids" had wanted to make a trip to Florida, but the parents fought the idea...

Then, the kids turn up "missing". Were I the parent, I'd have a pretty good guess as to where they went...