GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Three days after his two grandchildren went missing, Randy Hoggle pleaded with his mentally ill daughter to come home and help police find the children.
Montgomery County investigators say they are “deeply concerned” for the welfare of 3-year-old Sarah Hoggle and 2-year-old Jacob Hoggle as well as their mother, Catherine Hoggle, 27 of Clarksburg, Maryland.
Police said Thursday that they’ve launched an extensive search operation that includes wooded areas and shopping centers between Gaithersburg and Germantown, but they have no firm leads about the children’s whereabouts.
Police charged Catherine Hoggle with misdemeanor child neglect Wednesday. The charge gives investigators the authority to serve a search warrant based on any reliable tip they get related to the children’s whereabouts and to request the help of other agencies, police say.
Sarah and Jacob were last seen on Sunday. Police say Catherine Hoggle slipped away from her common-law husband, Troy Turner, on Monday after she was not forthcoming about the children’s whereabouts.
No one has seen Hoggle since she appeared on surveillance video near a Harris Teeter grocery store on Darnestown Road early Tuesday morning around 4:40 a.m.
However, police say staff at a nearby office building contacted investigators after finding the contents of Hoggle’s purse in a bathroom. Hoggle had no connection to the building, investigators say. But they believe she spent Monday night there.
Montgomery County Police Major Crimes investigators are working closely with the Hoggle family in trying to locate Catherine.
They’ve shared details about her routine, who she talks to, her thoughts, her feelings, places she has spoken about, even that she visits McDonald’s almost daily and enjoys drinking Dr. Pepper, says Capt. Darren Francke.
Randy Hoggle says his daughter hasn’t been taking medication for her diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia. But family says Catherine was not exhibiting any odd behavior that would give them cause for concern.
“We were surprised. And she’s been doing so well. She loves the kids so much. That’s why we couldn’t imagine anything ever happening to the kids, she’s so protective,” Hoggle says.
Randy Hoggle was with his daughter and the children on Sunday. He shared that he’s been coaching soccer for his grandson Clint’s team, Catherine’s eldest child.
“We want Sarah and Jacob to have those same kind of opportunities. The first kiss, the first homecoming, the last prom and a full life and we want you to do that as well,” Hoggle emotionally pleaded to his daughter at a press conference Thursday.
See a video of Randy Hoggle’s statements in the second half of Thursday’s press conference:
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on Facebook.
