The disappearance and apparent kidnapping of 12-year old Melissa Fu and her mother baffles police two years later.
The two disappeared on November 22, 2019 from their home in Irvine, CA.
According to the stepfather and husband, he answered the door when a couple sprayed a chemical in his face, rendering him unconscious. When he woke up, 42-year-old Cheng Zhang found blood in his home and Melissa missing along with his wife Amber Aiaz, 34. He also found a note.
“There is a bloody handprint on the wall, his stepdaughter is gone, and his wife, who should be home by that point, is also gone. What he finds is a note supposedly written by whoever abducted them. It says, “Do not inform the police, clean up the apartment, do as we say, and they will be returned safely to you.” For the next week, he received five more notes, reiterating that theme. After a week of this, he says he decides that the abductors are not going to return his wife and stepdaughter, and he contacts the police department,” LA Times reporter Christopher Goffard told Spectrum News.
Police originally considered Zhang a suspect, but they say his story remained consistent and he didn’t display behavior consistent with a suspect. He even spent the night at the police station out of fear someone would come after him as well.
The story will be featured on About in Pursuit with John Walsh on Investigation Discovery and streamed on Discovery+ on Wednesday, October 27 at 10/9 Central.
Authorities says Aiaz lead her husband to believe she had millions of dollars in investments and hundreds of thousands in cash.
“In the mother’s past, there were some men that she had involvement with who believe that she had swindled them. She also, according to police, exaggerated habitually about the money she had. She did not have much money. She was practically broke. But she convinced people that she had a lot of money, including her husband. Cheng Zhang had the belief that his wife had millions of dollars and was surprised when police confronted him with evidence that she did not. So, she seemed to be deceiving even her husband. One theory is that people kidnapped her believing that she had a lot of money she might have led them to, and when there wasn’t any money, they were killed. That’s one theory,” Goffard added.
Zhang remains scared for his own life and has been reluctant to talk to police.
Walsh hopes someone will recognize the pair and help police solve this mystery.
The kidnappers are believed to be a man and woman of Chinese descent and may have been driving an unknown model black Cadillac. If you have any information surrounding the kidnapping of Melissa and Amber, please text or call our hotline us at 1-833-3-PURSUE or to submit online at our dedicated hub at InPursuitTips.com. These resources are both staffed by trained operators who will accept anonymous tips and alert the proper authorities.
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