Account
Oct 13, 2020
Oct 13, 2020
Cristela
Zavala
25
17
63 inches
150 lbs
180 lbs
Hispanic / Latino
Female
In the spring of 2016, a teenage girl named Cristela Zavala disappeared from her home in Gretna, Louisiana, leaving her family and community with unanswered questions. At seventeen years old, Cristela was on the cusp of adulthood. She was described as a Hispanic female with brown hair and brown eyes. On the day she went missing, she stood at approximately five feet three inches tall and weighed between 150 and 180 pounds. The circumstances leading to her disappearance were rooted in a moment of familial conflict. Following an argument with her father, Cristela left her home. The exact date of this departure is not precisely known, adding a layer of uncertainty to the timeline of events. The hours and days immediately following Cristela's departure were likely filled with a mixture of hope and fear for her loved ones. The argument that preceded her leaving was a significant event, and her parting words expressed a desire to return to Guatemala. This statement provided a potential, albeit distant and uncertain, direction for investigators to consider. The Gretna Police Department was tasked with the investigation into her disappearance, and they opened a case file to begin the process of locating the missing teenager. A report was officially filed, documenting the known details and setting in motion the standard procedures for a missing person case. As time stretched on, the search for Cristela continued, though the trail may have grown cold. The initial report and the circumstances of her leaving her home after a dispute remained the central pieces of information for law enforcement. The case, cataloged under Gretna Police Department agency case number I-62409-16 and NamUs case number MP74540, represents a young life interrupted. The lack of public information or significant updates in the years since she was last seen speaks to the difficulties often encountered in long-term missing persons investigations. The overview of this case is one of a teenager who vanished after a disagreement at home, expressing a wish to travel to another country, leaving behind a lingering mystery for her family and the investigators dedicated to resolving her case.
May 01, 2016
Gretna
Louisiana
Jefferson Parish
No
91512
Gretna Police Department
Gretna
Louisiana
Jefferson Parish
70053
200 5th Street, Louisiana
5043664374
Local
Law Enforcement
I-62409-16
2016-09-25
Gretna Police Department
Brown
Brown
Brown
05/31/2026
