Child Left with Stranger Update

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
UPDATE
Tuesday, October 20, 1998
On Sunday October 18, 1998, Ray Luna, Francesca Rosales, and their 8 month old daughter, Bianca Luna were in the City of West Covina, where the mother is employed. Later that same day, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Francesca was driven to work by Ray with the understanding that he was to take Bianca to Francesca’s parent’s in West Covina. When Francesca returned to her parent’s residence at 10:30 p.m. that night, she discovered that Ray and Bianca had not been there. After several calls to Ray’s relatives in the San Fernando Valley and without success in locating Ray, Francesca went to the West Covina Police Department on Monday, October 19, 1998 at 10:20 a.m. and reported both as missing.

At the time the missing reports were made, Devonshire Detectives had already begun the investigation which started when Bianca was reported as abandoned earlier Monday morning, October 19, 1998. To assist with the investigation , a photograph of Bianca was released to the media.

Later, on Monday, at approximately 6:15 p.m., a neighbor of Francesca’s parents, informed her father that she had seen a news report about an abandoned child matching Bianca’s description. Francesca returned to West Covina Police Department which confirmed that the found child was Bianca.

On Tuesday October 20, 1998, at approximately 3:25 a.m., after returning to the area in which he had abandoned his child, Ray Luna was arrested for Child Endangering by Devonshire Patrol Officers near Columbus and Parthenia, North Hills. He was driving Francesca’s vehicle.

For Release 4:30 pm PST
October 20, 1998