Full Name: Lisset Soto Salinas

Alternative Name: Lizeth

Case Status: Missing

Record ID#: 0267

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: November 19, 2001
Birthplace:
Age at the Time: 8
Age Group: Child (6 to 9 Years Old)
Biological Sex: Female
Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium Length
Eyes: Brown
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino
Nationality: Mexico
Languages Spoken: Spanish

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build: Slim or Thin

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Beauty Mark or Mole, Physical Abnormality

Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality: She had notable dark circles under her eyes
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks: Beauty Mark (Mole) on her neck.
Piercings:
Tattoos:

Other Descriptors:

Clothing

• School Green Shorts (seems like something similar to the green color of a chalkboard)
• Shirt with a Round Collar
• Pink Sneakers with White Socks

Possessions:

Date of the Disappearance*: October 14, 2010

Description: In the bustling coastal city of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, where turquoise waters meet the desert landscape, a family’s nightmare began on a seemingly ordinary afternoon in October 2010. Eight-year-old Lisset Soto Salinas, a bright and aspiring dancer in the fourth grade, vanished without a trace while walking home from school, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions, shattered hopes, and accusations of investigative negligence.

Lisset Soto Salinas was born in 2002, the beloved daughter of Melchor Soto Torres and Esmerelda Salinas. Described as cheerful and full of energy, Lisset attended Luis Donaldo Colosio elementary school in La Paz. She dreamed of becoming a professional dancer and had recently begun classical dance lessons in which she was doing quite well. The Soto Salinas family lived in the modest Camino Real neighborhood, near the intersection of Camino del Sur No. 218 and San Ramón Oriente. It was a working-class area not immune to the shadows of Mexico’s ongoing struggles with organized crime and abductions.

---

Usually, her father would take her to school before heading to work; he would then close the shop and go pick her up after school. They would return to his shop and wait for her mother. When her mother arrived, they would all eat together; then Lisset and her mother would head home while Melchor finished work.

On Thursday, October 14, 2010, the situation was a little different. Lisset had already arrived back at the shop after school and was hanging out with her father during the afternoon. Unfortunately, her mother was feeling ill and remained at home, and Lisset had skipped lunch waiting to eat with her parents. Concerned, her parents decided to let her take the city bus home alone. She had frequently made the trip with her family and friends and she knew the way, but typically she did not travel alone. This time, her father escorted her to the bus stop at around 3:45 PM and watched her board the bus to head home. He then returned to work while her mother waited for her to make it back.

---

Not long afterward, Lisset disembarked near an Oxxo convenience store in Camino Real, a short walk from her house. She quickly called her mother to report that she was nearby and headed home. CCTV footage confirmed this, capturing her small figure walking past the convenience store as she headed down the street.

At approximately 4:02 PM, Lisset made a second more frantic call to her mother. She had noticed a van that appeared to be following her and was frightened that something was wrong. Some sources describe it as a green SUV while others simply state it was an unidentified van. Before her mother could respond or get more details, the call abruptly dropped and Lisset disappeared.

---

Esmerelda, sensing something was terribly wrong, immediately rushed out to search the area. She checked familiar paths, peered into parked vans, and enlisted the help of a nearby couple to aid in the frantic hunt. Melchor, upon learning of the dropped call, reported her missing to the authorities that same day. The family, devout Christians with no known ties to criminal elements, began their own desperate searches, combing the neighborhood and beyond.

Unfortunately, reports indicate that authorities delayed any meaningful search for 48 hours, a critical window in missing persons cases where evidence can quickly fade (Link). This inaction fueled the family’s frustration, leading them to file a formal complaint against the police for negligence. In retaliation, investigators turned their scrutiny on the parents, demanding they submit to polygraph tests, which both passed without issue. Despite this, rumors persisted, with some speculating about Esmerelda’s composure during interviews as suspicious, though the family vehemently denies any involvement. The family’s Christian faith and lack of criminal connections make targeted abduction unlikely, pointing instead to a random act during her unusual solo journey home.

No vehicle details were ever confirmed, and no suspects were identified.

Community whispers spoke of at least one other girl in the area who had reportedly fended off kidnappers in a similar van, but these leads were allegedly ignored by law enforcement (Link). The police’s reluctance may have stemmed from a desire to downplay the incident in a tourist-heavy region, avoiding negative publicity amid Mexico’s rising tide of disappearances linked to cartels.

Over the years, volunteer efforts produced age-progressed images of Lisset, as authorities failed to do so officially. Social media sightings of girls resembling her surfaced between 2010 and 2019 – at least three reported – but none were confirmed to be Lisset. No DNA evidence, remains, or cause of death has ever been established, and her cell phone was never recovered or traced.

---

In the absence of concrete evidence, theories abound. The most prevalent suggest Lisset was a victim of opportunistic kidnapping, possibly for human trafficking into the sex or drug trades, given Baja California Sur’s proximity to cartel strongholds. Others speculate about organ harvesting rings, a grim reality in parts of Mexico where vulnerable children are targeted (Link).

---

Since Lisset went missing, reports about three separate young girls who looked like Lisset have spread on social media. It appears none of them were confirmed to be Lisset and have been shown to be other girls unfortunately. Lisset remains missing as of December 2020.

Multiple Victims?:

Rumored or Actual Sightings:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered:

Description: Unknown

Time of Death:

Cause of Death:

Recovered Remains (if partial):

Suspected Homicide?:

Multiple Victims?:

DNA Tested (No Match):

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description: Green SUV or an Unidentified Van

License Plate:

Description: