Deputies continue search for missing Deltona mom

Yessenia Suarez and her 2 children presumed dead

Yessenia Suarez, Michael Otto, Thalia Otto

DELTONA, Fla. – Volusia County deputies will continue the search for the bodies of a missing mother and her two children on Friday morning after a search in a wooded area on Thursday turned up nothing.

28-year-old Yessenia Suarez, 8-year-old Michael Otto and 9-year-old Thalia Otto vanished on October 22 after a domestic violence altercation with Suarez's husband, Luis Toledo.

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Toledo, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder in Suarez's death and is being held in jail on no bond.

The search continued on Friday at 7 a.m. More than 40 people searched on Thursday near a lake not far from Suarez's home in Deltona.

On Thursday, deputies also released Suarez's mother's call to 911, reporting her daughter missing. In the call, she told the dispatcher she was sure her daughter was in danger.

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.


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