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Hondo Police say missing teen likely still in Texas as community rallies

Eva Garcia has been missing for more than a month, but her family and friends haven't stopped searching.

HONDO, Texas — The people of Hondo met in the heart of the town Wednesday to pass out fliers with missing teen Eva Garcia front and center. It has been more than a month since she disappeared, with little sign of where she may have gone. 

An Amber Alert was issued weeks after her disappearance, but it's no longer active. 

Her best friends, Veyonce Trevino and Mariana Salazar, said Eva is like a sister.

"I just really want her to come home," Trevino said.

On Oct. 16, the teen got into an argument with her dad Robert for getting home late. He took her phone, and she was gone the next morning.

"It is unexplainable," the father said. "It is unexplainable. It is hard to go through something like this."

The Amber Alert was canceled 48 hours later after being distributed. KENS 5 learned from state officials that Amber Alerts are active for only 24 hours. The agency in charge of the case has to ask to keep it active for longer than that time period. 

RELATED: Hondo PD cancels runaway teen's Amber Alert due to 'resident complaints'

RELATED: Why did it take a month to issue an Amber Alert for a Hondo teen?

RELATED: Police in Hondo looking for missing teen

In this case, the state says Hondo Police told them to cancel it, but gave no reason why. Hondo Police officials said Monday the alert was canceled because they felt the information was well-distributed. 

They also claimed they were receiving complaints from people in town about the alerts regularly setting off their phone.

Meanwhile, police and the people of Hondo have one common goal: finding Eva safe and sound.

"She could be dead," her friends said. "Kidnapped. Murdered. No one knows, except for God, where she is at."

The department has brought in federal resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Hondo's police chief said he is feeling positive about the direction they're going in this case, adding he does not believe Eva has crossed state lines, and is instead still somewhere in Texas.

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