DELTONA, Fla. – Volusia County deputies resumed their search Thursday morning for a missing mother and her two children after an all day expanded search near her home Wednesday turned up nothing.
[AUDIO: 911 call released reporting mother missing]
Around 60 deputies from Volusia, Seminole, and Lake Counties are working out of a new mobile command center set up at the Tucker Power Plant at 201 DeBary Ave. Investigators are focusing on a wooded area south of the victims' residence.
"Essentially, we drew a dot on the map where the victim's residence is and then drew a circle a half mile out from there," said Volusia County Sheriff's Office Spokesperson Gary Davidson. "If we find what we're looking for, it's going to be awfully grim and without a doubt one of the worst things any of us has seen."
28-year-old Yessenia Suarez, 8-year-old Michael Otto and 9-year-old Thalia Otto vanished on October 22nd after a domestic violence altercation with Suarez's husband, Luis Toledo.
Toledo, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder in Suarez's death and is being held in jail on no bond.
According to VCSO, the search will be in the area of Jacob Brock Avenue east to North Providence Boulevard, west to Broadway and south to Lake Shore Boulevard.
VCSO says they have sufficient resources to conduct the searches and are not seeking volunteers at this time.
"However, we do ask residents who live in the general vicinity of the victims' residence to walk their own property lines and contact the Volusia County Sheriff's Office if they see anything suspicious," said VCSO spokesperson Brandon Haught.
Investigators said Toledo admitted to them he was arguing with Suarez Tuesday night, hitting her in the throat. He told deputies because of his training in martial arts, the blow killed her, but won't say where her body is.
No charges have been filed yet related to missing 8-year-old Michael Otto and 9-year-old Thalia Otto. Toledo said someone else was involved in the death of Thalia and Michael, according to deputies.
Watch Local 6 for more on this story.