Rafael's birth record indicates her age to be sixteen, she would have been twenty when she disappeared.Rafael's birth record indicates her age to be sixteen, she would have been twenty when she disappeared. There was no attempt to locate her, beyond checking police reports, and she has never tried to communicate with her son. Young Rafael was immediately placed with foster parents for about a year. For some reason unknown to me he was returned to the care of the State of Florida. For a period of more than three years Rafael lived in Centerville, a boy's home in the Miami area. The only photograph I have of Rafael during those years shows him with three other boys. He is skinny with a shy smile, somewhere between six and seven years old. His dark hair is closely cropped, 'Marine Style', but there is the unmistakable beauty, the delicately sculptured features, the small ears and nose, the big eyes that reflect an innate intelligence. Even as a little boy Rafael was beautiful. His skinny little body is perfectly proportioned, his dark-hued skin unblemished, his fine soft features have not changed in five years beyond becoming even more beautiful. But what is startling about the photograph is the boy's intensity as he looks towards the camera and radiates an intensity that is unexpected in a young child. He is dressed in shorts and a white tee shirt. He is innocent, a perfect child in every way. |