Hania Aguilar’s dad can’t come to US for her funeral. A petition seeks to change that.
Thirteen-year-old Hania Noelia Aguilar was kidnapped from her Lumberton home nearly a month ago. After three weeks of searching, police found her dead in a body of water in town.
Hania’s father lives in Guatemala and cannot attend her funeral without permission to have his travel expedited. So an online petition has been started to get him to the United States.
It has nearly 15,000 signatures.
The petition started on Change.org is directed to the Guatemalan embassy, Lumberton Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales.
“Murdered Hania Aguilar’s father is in Guatemala and he needs permission to be Expedited to the United States in order to see his daughter one last time, say his goodbyes and attend her funeral. No parent should be denied the right to attend their child’s funeral- especially when Hania was a Citizen-born in Tennessee,” the petition started by Monique Cespedes reads. “Somehow someway the involved agencies should be able to make this work given his family and daughter are victims of a brutal crime that took the life of his daughter.”
Dozens of people left notes of support on the petition.
“Her father should be here to say goodbye to his daughter. It’s the human thing to do & the right thing to do,” Marie Coley wrote.
“Every mother or father no matter where they are from should be able to see their loved one before going into the ground. I hope my petition makes a difference. God bless,” Christina Ramos wrote.
“He deserves to be with his daughter and lay her to rest. She deserves to have her father there for the last time,” Samantha Denna wrote.
This story was originally published December 3, 2018 at 2:31 PM.