She Left Her Infant Daughter With Her Ex-Boyfriend In 2018, Saying She Needed To Visit Her Sick Mom: Her Mom Was Never Ill, And She’s Been Missing Ever Since
Nancy Troche-Garcia, a 28-year-old mother and resident of Asheboro, North Carolina, in 2018, was originally from Mexico.
There, she grew up as one of five siblings and was known to be a hard worker. Then, she moved to the United States in 2011 and was determined to create a better life for herself and her family. At the time, she relocated with her fiancé, but their marriage did not last long.
Following their divorce, Nancy became a citizen of the U.S. and worked at a furniture factory in Asheboro for three years. By 2018, she was also living in her own apartment and had recently gone through a breakup with her ex-boyfriend – who was the father of her 5-month-old premature baby, Natalia.
However, what started off as a normal May weekend in 2018 ended in tragedy when Nancy mysteriously disappeared.
It all began on Saturday, May 19, when Nancy and her daughter attended a kid’s birthday party. Nothing seemed wrong that day, and according to her friends, Nancy had a nice time at the celebration.
Yet, the very next day, Nancy visited her ex-boyfriend’s home on East Balfour Avenue in Asheboro and dropped off their daughter. Then, later that Sunday, Nancy went to see her ex-boyfriend’s sister and asked if she could help her ex care for their baby.
During this conversation, Nancy reportedly claimed that she had to travel to Mexico to see her mother – who was very ill. This was the last time anyone saw or heard from Nancy again.
Three days later, on May 23, 2018, Nancy’s coworker contacted the police after she failed to show up for work for a few days. At that point, authorities conducted a welfare check at her apartment, and no sign of Nancy was found.
Once Nancy’s mother, Maria Garcia, was contacted by detectives, though, it was uncovered that Maria had not been sick. Moreover, Nancy had not planned a visit to Mexico.
FollowTheFlow – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Maria reportedly last spoke to her daughter about a week before Nancy disappeared. The pair always spoke on Saturdays when Nancy called to touch base with her family in Mexico.
During their last conversation, Maria thought her daughter sounded like her usual, happy self. But, Maria maintains that her daughter did not mention any plans to visit Mexico.
“I am suffering every day since Nancy went missing. I just want to know where she is. I just want answers,” Maria said in a since-translated interview with Dateline.
When Nancy vanished, so did her car – a burgundy 2001 Chevrolet Impala sedan with North Carolina license plates reading DFD-2191. Investigators did not find any record of her car crossing the Mexico border or of Nancy boarding a plane.
Upon reviewing her phone records, it was discovered that Nancy had placed a few phone calls after she went missing. Some calls were to an out-of-state number.
Then, in January 2020, authorities were able to access Nancy’s Google account. This allowed investigators to learn that Nancy had used Google Maps to travel to a car dealership located in Madison, North Carolina, on the day she went missing. But, no further evidence was found at the dealership, and this lead ultimately went cold.
It was also uncovered that, in January 2019, Nancy’s Google account had been logged into in Mexico. The log-in location was around 30 miles away from her hometown. Investigators in the U.S. contacted Mexican authorities with this lead, but nothing further came of it.
So, Maria has continued searching for answers in her daughter’s disappearance. Since Nancy went missing, Maria has traveled to Asheboro on four different occasions – meeting with investigators and hoping to find new information.
According to Asheboro Police Department Captain Richard Thomspon, the investigation into Nancy’s disappearance was officially launched in May 2018 after Nancy was reported missing. Then, detectives conducted interviews with Nancy’s friends and family, as well as her ex-boyfriend and his family.
“I feel helpless. I need answers. Nancy is good and loving. I miss her,” Maria said.
Maria also believes that Nancy never would have willingly left her young daughter behind.
“She loves her daughter so much. She would not have left her baby behind. She was dedicated to Natalia. She was dedicated to giving her a good life,” Maria explained.
Maria is currently offering a $7,000 reward for any information that leads to her daughter’s whereabouts in hopes that community members will come forward.
“It’s all I have. I hope it’s enough. Please, just help bring my daughter home,” she pleaded.
Nancy is between four foot eleven and five foot two, weighs between 90 and 125 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo of a star on her finger, and it is unclear what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance. Nancy would be 34 years old today.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Asheboro Police Department at (336) 626-1300.
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