Karina Michelle Gaitan was 13 when she was last seen in San Antonio, Texas, at about 1:00 a.m. on July 18, 1998. She lived with her mother and older brother at the Las Brisas Apartments on Blanco Road and was a student at Eisenhower Middle School. Her mother found the front door unlocked and Karina’s personal belongings left behind, suggesting she intended to return shortly.

Investigators believe Karina may have sneaked out to meet friends at a nearby apartment complex but she never arrived. She had no history of running away and was reportedly excited about an upcoming family vacation. At the time she vanished she was wearing a black t-shirt dress, wind shorts, and black sandals, and has a cross-shaped burn scar on her right hand between her thumb and forefinger. She may also have worn purple-tinted contact lenses or eyeglasses. Some agencies initially classified the case as a runaway; authorities have not ruled out foul play and continue to seek information.

Did anyone in San Antonio in July 1998 see Karina or remember someone matching her description near Blanco Road that night?