Missing Florida Woman May Be In Danger: Antonette Cochran
UPDATE: 5/20 11:54 am ET--Antonette has phoned in according to her sister Lisa. She used the phone of a "good samaritan." No more details are known yet.
Antonette Cochran will turn 20 years old in less than 2 weeks. Her family wants nothing more than to celebrate that day with her. But right now, they can't. They can't visit her, call her or help her. Antonette vanished in southern Florida last Thursday. And like so many other stories, this one involves a young woman in an abusive relationship who might not have been able to leave. Her sister, Lisa Castro hopes it isn't too late.
Antonette Cochran
At 6'2, the thin beauty is hard to miss. Her smile lights up a room but the pain she hides is apparent to those she knows. "She has been involved with a guy named Antonio for about 2 years" Lisa said. "He is very abusive towards her and we have tried to get her away from him many times. Last year, he beat her up while she was in the shower. She escaped by running out the house and into the neighborhood where a good Samaritan helped her and called my mom and police. Sadly she did return to him after that. Before this she was living in West Palm Beach, Florida where she is from and has lived all her life. In December he talked her into moving to Virginia. They had no place of residence there--just crashing with his friend. She was there with him for about 3 weeks or so, before the abuse started again and my mother once again came in and rescued her, bought her a bus ticket and brought her back home."
When she returned to Florida, Antonette tried to get her life back on track. Away from Antonio, Lisa said she was finally doing it. But he was relentless. "In the beginning Antonio called threating everyone in our family," Lisa said. He would leave messages on my cell, my older sister's cell and at my mother's home. He went as far as threatening everyone in my family. He said he would kill us if we did not allow him to talk to her. My sister and I changed out cell numbers. I tried to get a restraining order in case he tried to come near me, but of course that was denied."
Antonette tried to get a restraining order herself. But that was denied because the last time Antonio hit her was in Virginia--outside of Florida's jurisdiction. Eventually the harassing calls stopped. Antonette went into counseling for domestic violence and she was trying to get enrolled in school "She needed to keep her mind busy," Lisa said. But it wasn't enough. She needed more and she knew it. She decided to enlist in the US Army.
Lisa (L) and Antonette (R)
"I was all for it, because I felt that getting away and the structure and the discipline that she would get in the Army is something she needed. She was so happy to be going and starting a new beginning. She was set to leave for boot camp July 28," Lisa said.
On May 14, the day she disappeared, Lisa spoke to her mother about 6 p.m. "She told me that my sister Poppie (her nickname) was at the Army recruiters office and that there were issues with some paperwork. We didn't think much of it. Later that night my mother called at 1130 p.m. Asking me 'Where is Poppie?' My mother was obviously, shaken up. I asked her 'what do you mean, where is she?' My mom said that Poppie came back home around 8 ish (she used my mom's car). They didn't have any kind of argument or anything. Poppie told my mom that she was going to go down the street to Taco Bell. My mom said that she just went out to walk the dogs shortly after that and she noticed that Poppie had not taken the car. So at 1130 when my mother called me I told her to call the police and report her missing. We believe that Antonio may be back in West Palm Beach. What we don't know is if he forced her to go, threatened her or anything like that. She didn't take any clothes with her or any belongings."
The family reported Antonette missing to the police. Two days later, Lisa went to the police station to make sure the report was filed. She was told it was, but since Antonette was over the age of 18, there wasn't much they could do. "The officer said she was in the system as "intent to locate" or something like that and he said he would keep an eye out, since he also patrols the area where she went missing," Lisa said. "I've gone to the Taco Bell where she was last known to be to ask if any of the employees had seen her. Nothing. I've put out messages on Facebook and on Myspace in the off chance that someone sees her or a friend or even if she sees it. We just want to know where she is."
Her strange disappearance has torn through the family. Knowing the life she had just escaped from worries them. "My older sister believes that she has just run off with Antonio again, and is rightfully upset and doesn't want to hear anymore about it. But even if she did leave with him, I don't know if he threatened her or what kind of harm she may be in."
Whether Antonette is with Antonio right now, no one knows for sure. What they do know is that despite her problems, vanishing like this is not in her character. "We did not expect this at all," Lisa said. "My mom is a mess just trying to deal with all this. We have no contact information on my sister. Antonio has no family here in the area except an older brother who says he has not heard anything from Antonio. He has some friends but I have no clue as to where they may live. They have no money, she doesn't work and he doesn't either."
If you see Antonette or know where she is, please contact the West Palm Beach Police at (561) 968-8243. Antonette is 6'2, thin to medium build, with has brown hair to the neck and blonde highlights.
Antonette Cochran will turn 20 years old in less than 2 weeks. Her family wants nothing more than to celebrate that day with her. But right now, they can't. They can't visit her, call her or help her. Antonette vanished in southern Florida last Thursday. And like so many other stories, this one involves a young woman in an abusive relationship who might not have been able to leave. Her sister, Lisa Castro hopes it isn't too late.
Antonette Cochran
At 6'2, the thin beauty is hard to miss. Her smile lights up a room but the pain she hides is apparent to those she knows. "She has been involved with a guy named Antonio for about 2 years" Lisa said. "He is very abusive towards her and we have tried to get her away from him many times. Last year, he beat her up while she was in the shower. She escaped by running out the house and into the neighborhood where a good Samaritan helped her and called my mom and police. Sadly she did return to him after that. Before this she was living in West Palm Beach, Florida where she is from and has lived all her life. In December he talked her into moving to Virginia. They had no place of residence there--just crashing with his friend. She was there with him for about 3 weeks or so, before the abuse started again and my mother once again came in and rescued her, bought her a bus ticket and brought her back home."
When she returned to Florida, Antonette tried to get her life back on track. Away from Antonio, Lisa said she was finally doing it. But he was relentless. "In the beginning Antonio called threating everyone in our family," Lisa said. He would leave messages on my cell, my older sister's cell and at my mother's home. He went as far as threatening everyone in my family. He said he would kill us if we did not allow him to talk to her. My sister and I changed out cell numbers. I tried to get a restraining order in case he tried to come near me, but of course that was denied."
Antonette tried to get a restraining order herself. But that was denied because the last time Antonio hit her was in Virginia--outside of Florida's jurisdiction. Eventually the harassing calls stopped. Antonette went into counseling for domestic violence and she was trying to get enrolled in school "She needed to keep her mind busy," Lisa said. But it wasn't enough. She needed more and she knew it. She decided to enlist in the US Army.
Lisa (L) and Antonette (R)
"I was all for it, because I felt that getting away and the structure and the discipline that she would get in the Army is something she needed. She was so happy to be going and starting a new beginning. She was set to leave for boot camp July 28," Lisa said.
On May 14, the day she disappeared, Lisa spoke to her mother about 6 p.m. "She told me that my sister Poppie (her nickname) was at the Army recruiters office and that there were issues with some paperwork. We didn't think much of it. Later that night my mother called at 1130 p.m. Asking me 'Where is Poppie?' My mother was obviously, shaken up. I asked her 'what do you mean, where is she?' My mom said that Poppie came back home around 8 ish (she used my mom's car). They didn't have any kind of argument or anything. Poppie told my mom that she was going to go down the street to Taco Bell. My mom said that she just went out to walk the dogs shortly after that and she noticed that Poppie had not taken the car. So at 1130 when my mother called me I told her to call the police and report her missing. We believe that Antonio may be back in West Palm Beach. What we don't know is if he forced her to go, threatened her or anything like that. She didn't take any clothes with her or any belongings."
The family reported Antonette missing to the police. Two days later, Lisa went to the police station to make sure the report was filed. She was told it was, but since Antonette was over the age of 18, there wasn't much they could do. "The officer said she was in the system as "intent to locate" or something like that and he said he would keep an eye out, since he also patrols the area where she went missing," Lisa said. "I've gone to the Taco Bell where she was last known to be to ask if any of the employees had seen her. Nothing. I've put out messages on Facebook and on Myspace in the off chance that someone sees her or a friend or even if she sees it. We just want to know where she is."
Her strange disappearance has torn through the family. Knowing the life she had just escaped from worries them. "My older sister believes that she has just run off with Antonio again, and is rightfully upset and doesn't want to hear anymore about it. But even if she did leave with him, I don't know if he threatened her or what kind of harm she may be in."
Whether Antonette is with Antonio right now, no one knows for sure. What they do know is that despite her problems, vanishing like this is not in her character. "We did not expect this at all," Lisa said. "My mom is a mess just trying to deal with all this. We have no contact information on my sister. Antonio has no family here in the area except an older brother who says he has not heard anything from Antonio. He has some friends but I have no clue as to where they may live. They have no money, she doesn't work and he doesn't either."
If you see Antonette or know where she is, please contact the West Palm Beach Police at (561) 968-8243. Antonette is 6'2, thin to medium build, with has brown hair to the neck and blonde highlights.
Posted by Holliston at 5/18/2009 7:53 PM 
Categories: Florida, Antonette Cochran, Missing, West Palm Beach
Tags: Florida Antonette Cochran Missing West Palm Beach
Categories: Florida, Antonette Cochran, Missing, West Palm Beach
Tags: Florida Antonette Cochran Missing West Palm Beach
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