Episode 588: The Disappearance of Delimar Vera

In the Feltonville neighborhood of North Philadelphia, a baffling event took place in December 1997 when Delamar Vera, a newborn baby, vanished during a house fire.

Delamar Vera, a newborn baby, vanished from her crib during a house fire at her family's home in Feltonville, North Philadelphia on December 15, 1997.

On December 15th, when Luz Cuevas was chatting downstairs with a friend, a loud bang that sounded like an explosion came from upstairs. Luz ran to the nursery only to find it filling with smoke and her newborn baby, Delamar, who was born on December 5th, missing from her crib. Despite the smoke and fumes, Luz reached the crib but discovered Delamar was not there and the nursery window was unexpectedly open on the cold night.

Neighbors and firefighters tried to enter the house to save Delamar but were forced back by the intense smoke. The firefighters successfully extinguished the fire within about 10 minutes; however, they informed the family that Delamar had likely perished in the fire as no remains were found. There was a possibility that a misunderstanding due to a language barrier led the investigators to believe Luz meant Delamar was trapped inside during the fire when she actually intended to convey that Delamar was missing before the fire engulfed the house.

Luz and Pedro, Delamar's father, never believed their daughter had died in the fire and continued searching for her.

Luz was released from the hospital the day after the fire. With no remains and no death certificate, the possibility that Delamar was alive haunted Luz and Pedro. The couple moved to a new home and had another child, but they could not escape the weight of their missing da ...

Carolyn Carrera's sudden and unexpected arrival at the family home of her cousin by marriage, Pedro, raised many questions, especially when a fire broke out on the same day, leading to suspicions of kidnapping and arson.

On the day of the fire, Carolyn Carrera, Pedro's cousin by marriage, unexpectedly showed up at the family's home and distracted Luz while the fire broke out.

Luz, who had recently given birth, found her conversation with Carolyn uncomfortable. She saw Carolyn when she turned up from New Jersey claiming brake problems with her car. During Carolyn's version of the events, she states that she was at the home to give Pedro a lift to a friend's house, returning just before the fire started and helped Luz evacuate her children. Despite Carolyn's allegations that Pedro had admitted to starting the fire by messing with the heater wires, her story lacked consistency and credibility.

Carolyn claimed that Pedro had voluntarily given her the baby, but her story was inconsistent and lacked credibility.

Years after the fire, at a family party, Carolyn introduced a girl that Luz thought looked like Delamar as Aaliyah. Carolyn insisted that Luz knew the truth about her daughter all along and that she was there when Pedro handed over the baby. Her tales, however, were unreliable. Despite her claims and questioning why Pedro wasn't arrested, stating he had willingly given her the child, her story was contradicted by evidence, including her history of deceit and a previous arson conviction.

Carolyn was eventually arrested and charged with kidnapping, arson, and concealing the whereabouts of a child.

Following Luz's plea for help, Representative Angel Cruz engaged with the case, leading to a DNA test that revealed the girl Carolyn introduced as Alia was actually Delamar Vera, confirming on the night of December 15, 1997, Carolyn started the fire and kidnapped Elimar, passing her as her own. Subsequently, arrest warrants were issued, but Carolyn initially fled. She later surrendered to the authorities in Philadelphia, where Captain John Darby expressed satisfaction in closing a phase of the investigation.

Carolyn maintaine ...

After six years of being raised by another woman, Delamar, known as Aaliyah, experienced a complex and emotional transition when returned to her biological parents in 2004.

After six years of being raised by Carolyn, Delamar (known as Aaliyah) was returned to Luz and Pedro in 2004.

Carolyn had been the only mother Delamar had ever known; thus, the reunification process was incredibly complex. Delamar had to adjust to a new family dynamic and the reality that the woman she thought was her mother was, in fact, her kidnapper.

The reunification process was complex, as Delamar had only known Carolyn as her mother and had to adjust to her new family.

Luz and Pedro faced the emotional turmoil of reintegrating their daughter into their lives. Luz experienced an overwhelming emotional reaction upon learning that her daughter was alive, shaking and crying with gratitude. Despite this joy, the family also had to navigate the difficult reality that Delamar may experience conflicting feelings, missing Carolyn and grappling with the truth of her past.

To minimize the disruption in Delamar’s life and respect her identity, Luz and Pedro agreed to continue calling their daughter Aaliyah. This decision reflected their sensitivity to the psychological impact that changing her name might have on her, as Aaliyah was the only name she had known throughout her formative years.

The family faced significant challenges in the aftermath of the reunion, including communication barriers and the need to rebuild their relationship with Delamar.

The rekindling of familial bonds required overcoming language barriers; Luz spoke very little English while Aaliyah knew no Spanish. This necessitated the use of translators and social workers to facilitate communication between mother and daughter, illustrating the logistical and interpersonal hurdles they encountered.

Luz and Pedro worked to maintain a cordial relationsh ...

After in-depth investigations, Carolyn was apprehended and faced severe legal repercussions for her actions, leading to a contentious trial.

Carolyn was eventually arrested and charged with kidnapping, arson, and concealing the whereabouts of a child.

Law enforcement came to believe that on December 15th, 1997, Carolyn started a fire and kidnapped a child named Elimar, whom she then passed off as her own daughter, Alia. DNA tests confirmed the girl's true identity as Delamar Vera. Subsequently, Carolyn was charged with multiple counts including arson, kidnapping, and concealing the whereabouts of a child. Investigators suspected she had a co-conspirator, but despite mentioning this individual in the charges, they made no additional arrests.

Family members were shocked by the revelations. They had believed Carolyn’s claim that she had given birth to the child, especially after she reported to a police station in early January 1998, claiming she had given birth at home. Even her boyfriend at the time had believed her story until he grew suspicious and demanded a paternity test. After their breakup, he was left with disturbing unanswered questions, notably concerning the child they supposedly had together.

Additionally, Carolyn’s medical records showed no evidence of a recent pregnancy or childbirth, and a previous tubal ligation in 1990 cast further doubt on her story. Despite this, she continued to assert that the child's biological father had voluntarily given her the baby.

Carolyn was sentenced to 9 to 30 years in prison for the abduction, but maintained her innocence throughout the legal proceedings.

The judge issued harsh criticism of Carol ...