KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Seventeen-year-old Maria Del Carmen Nunez Quiroz has been missing for several months.

  • Maria Del Carmen Nunez Quiroz, 17, missing since August
  • She was last seen at dad's house in Kissimmee
  • Spanish-speaking KPD investigators trying to find teen
  • RELATED LINK: More Osceola County news

Investigators say Maria went missing in August, and she was last seen at her dad’s house in Kissimmee.

Her mother Teresa Nunez can’t hold back tears as she thinks about her daughter.

“I am not at peace. I am desperate, but I try to move forward for my younger daughter,” Nunez said in Spanish.

Nunez has been reading the bible almost daily; she has faith her daughter will return safely.

“In this country you see so many things … I try not to think of the worst. But I have no idea how she is doing, and it kills me,” Nunez said.

The Kissimmee Police Department is investigating her disappearance. Because the family only speaks Spanish, a bilingual investigator has been assigned to the Peruvian family.

More than 20 percent of the KPD’s staff speaks Spanish. In this case, they’ve been targeting the Hispanic community by tweeting in Spanish.

“We understand cultural differences … we assign the case to a person that understands the language, so we can give people the best services we can,” said Lt. Camille Alicea with KPD. “And we can get the information firsthand. It’s really hard to work when you have a translator.”

Nunez lights a candle next to her mother’s picture, who helped raise Maria in Peru. She doesn’t want to lose hope.

“If she is listening, daughter please call me. Just tell me you’re okay, so I can have peace in my heart,” Nunez said.

If you have any tips or information on this disappearance of Maria Del Carmen Nunez Quiroz, contact Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.