2 Missing Children May Have Been Abducted by Father, Who Is ‘Deaf’ and ‘Mute,’ and Another Suspect: Police

Authorities are asking the public to help find Aastha Vides, 8, and Juaquin Vides Jr., 11, who were last seen on on Aug. 8

Two missing children in California may have been abducted by their dad, and police are asking for the public’s help finding them.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and its South Los Angeles Station both issued a special bulletin on social media requesting the public’s assistance in helping locate two “critical missing children,” in what was labeled a case of “parental abduction.”

The two kids are Aastha Vides, 8, and Juaquin Vides Jr., 11, who were last seen with their father, Juaquin Vides Sr., on Aug. 8 around 6 p.m. local time “on the 1000 block of W. 88th Street in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles,” according to the LASD bulletin.

The bulletin identified the father, 35, as a suspect and said he is “deaf/mute.”

The three were last spotted in a green 2012 Mazda2 with the California license plate 9DRV087, according to the bulletin.

Another suspect, Sylvia Gonzalez, 53, was also seen driving the vehicle, per the bulletin. Her relationship with the kids and their father is not immediately clear.

“They may have a possible destination within the city of San Jose,” the LASD said, adding elsewhere in the bulletin, “The family is concerned for the children’s well-being and is asking for the public’s assistance in locating them.”

The LASD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Aug. 17.

According to the bulletin, Juaquin Jr. is 3 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 49 lbs. Aastha, meanwhile, is 3 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 35 lbs. They both have black hair and brown eyes, and Aastha “also has a birthmark on her left foot,” the bulletin states.

Juaquin Jr. was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt “with a yellow stripe,” and his sister was last seen in a green T-shirt “with white flowers.”

As for the suspects, Juaquin Sr. is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 220 lbs. and has brown hair and brown eyes. Sylvia is 5 feet, 1 inches tall, weighs 233 lbs., and has gray hair and hazel eyes.

The LASD said that “anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, South Los Angeles Station Detective Partida or the on-duty Watch Commander at (323) 820-6700.”

Authorities are asking the public to help find Aastha Vides, 8, and Juaquin Vides Jr., 11, who were last seen on on Aug. 8

Two missing children in California may have been abducted by their dad, and police are asking for the public’s help finding them.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and its South Los Angeles Station both issued a special bulletin on social media requesting the public’s assistance in helping locate two “critical missing children,” in what was labeled a case of “parental abduction.”

The two kids are Aastha Vides, 8, and Juaquin Vides Jr., 11, who were last seen with their father, Juaquin Vides Sr., on Aug. 8 around 6 p.m. local time “on the 1000 block of W. 88th Street in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles,” according to the LASD bulletin.

The bulletin identified the father, 35, as a suspect and said he is “deaf/mute.”

The three were last spotted in a green 2012 Mazda2 with the California license plate 9DRV087, according to the bulletin.

Another suspect, Sylvia Gonzalez, 53, was also seen driving the vehicle, per the bulletin. Her relationship with the kids and their father is not immediately clear.

“They may have a possible destination within the city of San Jose,” the LASD said, adding elsewhere in the bulletin, “The family is concerned for the children’s well-being and is asking for the public’s assistance in locating them.”

The LASD did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Aug. 17.

According to the bulletin, Juaquin Jr. is 3 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 49 lbs. Aastha, meanwhile, is 3 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 35 lbs. They both have black hair and brown eyes, and Aastha “also has a birthmark on her left foot,” the bulletin states.

Juaquin Jr. was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt “with a yellow stripe,” and his sister was last seen in a green T-shirt “with white flowers.”

As for the suspects, Juaquin Sr. is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 220 lbs. and has brown hair and brown eyes. Sylvia is 5 feet, 1 inches tall, weighs 233 lbs., and has gray hair and hazel eyes.

The LASD said that “anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, South Los Angeles Station Detective Partida or the on-duty Watch Commander at (323) 820-6700.”