El Paso family pleads for help finding missing 24-year-old last seen in southwest Houston

Sydney Marquez of El Paso, 24, was last seen on December 11 in Houston. Texas EquuSearch has joined search efforts alongside the family and the Houston Police Department. (Marquez Family, Texas EquuSearch)

HOUSTON – An El Paso family is urgently searching for their daughter, who disappeared while visiting friends in Houston earlier this month. Investigators say 24-year-old Sydney Marquez was last seen in southwest Houston, and her father has been pleading for access to video from a METRO bus she may have boarded—video that authorities now confirm has been retrieved.

Sydney was last seen near the 9100 block of Bellaire Boulevard on December 11, according to investigators. Surveillance video shows her walking away after leaving a friend’s car running in the street. Witnesses later told her father she may have boarded a northbound METRO bus at the intersection of Gessner and Harwin, on route 46 going northbound on Gessner towards the Little York area.

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Her father, Raul Marquez, says obtaining the bus video is critical to understanding what happened next.

“The car was running. We have video of her going northbound on Ranchester. That’s the last solid evidence we have,” Marquez said. “I have the exact time when she boarded that bus. That footage is a matter of life and death.”

METRO Police confirm bus video retrieved

In an update, the METRO Police Department (MPD) says it is actively cooperating with the Houston Police Department (HPD) in the search for Sydney.

According to MPD, while a remote download of the requested bus footage was initially unavailable, investigators were able to manually download the video from the METRO bus Sydney was reported to be on. That footage has since been turned over to HPD, which is the lead agency in the investigation.

MPD says it remains hopeful for Sydney’s safe return and will continue assisting HPD as the case moves forward. MPD officials say any additional questions should be directed to HPD.

Mental health concerns and search efforts

Sydney lives and works in El Paso and was visiting friends in Houston at the time of her disappearance. Her father believes she may have been experiencing a mental health episode.

“She was diagnosed with late-onset bipolar disorder with a bit of schizophrenia,” Marquez said. “Over the last two or three months, we saw some changes—some behavior.”

Texas EquuSearch is assisting in the search. Founder Tim Miller says time remains critical.

“Time’s not on our side,” Miller said. “She’s a young girl who was walking late at night, not knowing the area. We just want to get her home safe.”

Description of Sydney Marquez

According to the Houston Police Department, Sydney is:

5 feet 4 inches tall

Approximately 120 pounds

Short reddish-brown hair

Brown eyes

Wears glasses

Has a four-leaf clover tattoo on her left wrist

In a message to his daughter, Marquez said:

“Sydney, you need to come home now. We miss you. We love you. Christmas is around the corner.”

Although not confirmed by police, a witness told Sydney’s father that she may have boarded the bus with two men who allegedly stopped her from using a phone offered to her at the bus stop. Sydney’s father says the retrieved bus video could help investigators identify those individuals.

Anyone with information about Sydney Marquez’s whereabouts is urged to contact the Houston Police Department at (832) 394-1840, or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.