AURORA, Colo. – Gilda Martinez says she suffered years in an abusive relationship, and this summer she finally had the courage to leave and filed a protection order.
But now her ex-boyfriend has taken off with their only child, and police have issued a warrant for his arrest.
"She's my everything," she said. "I look at these pictures, and I'm like, that could have been right now."
It's been almost two months since she's seen her 2-year-old daughter Allyson Castro.
"The last time I saw her was on August 27," Martinez said.
Just a few days before her daughter's second birthday, she said her ex-boyfriend picked up their daughter and then never brought her back.
"He did this to hurt me," Martinez said. "I'm scared that he's going to do something to my daughter to get to me even more."
Aurora police are currently looking for Adrian Lorenzo Castro, 34, and issued a warrant for his arrest last week for violation of a custody order.
"I can't even tell you why it took them so long to just now start doing something," she said.
Martinez said her and Castro had a verbal custody agreement and because he is the paternal father, police had to investigate before an arrest warrant could be issued.
Martinez said she tried to warn the court a month before Castro took off with their daughter, and records show a judge denied a motion for Abduction Prevention Measures, citing that the court didn't have enough information.
"All I want is my daughter, all I care about is her," she said. "I'm just scared she's gonna come back and not know who I am."
Police are still searching for Castro and do not know if he is still in Colorado. Martinez said he does have ties to Mexico, but she is hopeful he's still in the state and will do the right thing.
This story was originally published by Jennifer Kovaleski on KMGH.
