'She Would Never Leave' Her Child, Sister Of Missing Mom Says

EAST HAVEN, CT — The last time Yaneth Aleman saw her sister, she had come to New Haven from East Haven to look at an new apartment for her and her 7-year-old daughter. Aleman said her sister, Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca, was planning to move out of the place she shared with her husband.

"She was OK, she was fine," Aleman said.

That was June 29.

On July 3, the 27-year-old mother was reported missing by her husband, Jonnathan X. Jara-Aucapina, father and sister, East Haven police Capt. Joe Murgo said. Jara-Aucapina told police she went missing the night of June 30 or early in the morning July 1. Though referred to as her husband in the initial media release by police, the couple were not legally married, but he is father to her daughter, her sister told Patch.

(UPDATE: Multiple Police At Eatery In Connection With Missing Woman)

Foul play is suspected

East Haven police, the FBI and state police major crimes unit investigators called Aleman-Popoca's disappearance suspicious and said foul play is suspected.

“My sister would never leave her baby. She would never leave her. She’s her priority,” Aleman told Patch Tuesday. “She would have called me. We have good communication. She wouldn’t leave us, leave her family without calling to say, ‘Come take care of the baby.’ She’s not the kind of person to randomly go missing. No.”

Jara-Aucapina told police his daughter called him at work to tell him her mother was not home when she woke up, Murgo said. He told investigators when he got to the St. Andrews Avenue apartment, his daughter was home alone and Lizzbeth was missing. He said her personal belongings were left behind, according to Murgo.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Aleman-Popoca's sister and father pleaded for the community's help in locating her. Jara-Aucapina was not there. Aleman said she hasn't spoken to him much.

“I have a lot of things going on in my head," Aleman said. "It’s not healthy for me to talk to him.”

'Good' mother, 'sweet' person

Aleman said her sister is a devoted mother. She said she’s invested in her child’s education and recently got her help in math and reading.

“She’s really sweet, and she has good sense of humor, and she loves her baby,” Aleman said of her sister. “She’d do anything for her. She’s a good mother.”

A family’s anguish

With her sister missing for two weeks, Aleman said the family is distraught and feeling helpless.

“It’s indescribable” she said. “My dad is sad, and he’s angry. There’s lots of emotions: sadness, loneliness and anger. I feel like, I can’t picture anyone else (having) to go through this because you have no idea how to deal with it.”

The Aleman family hopes that spreading the word about Lizzbeth will move someone to come forward, as they believe “someone knows something.”

“She’s not a party girl. She’s responsible. She wouldn’t just leave,” Aleman said.

“I don’t want to think something’s happened to her," she said. "If anybody knows something, please help us.”

Aleman-Popoco is Hispanic, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, with black hair and dark brown eyes. It is unknown what she was last wearing.

The East Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division, the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, the FBI and the New Haven States Attorney's Office are investigating the case.

Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is asked to contact Capt. Joseph Murgo at 203-468-3824 or jmurgo@easthavenpolice.com.