Mom of 2 vanished leaving abusive relationship, family said. Boyfriend is now charged

Exactly one year after a 19-year-old woman vanished under mysterious circumstances, her boyfriend has been charged in her presumed death, Texas authorities say.

The New Braunfels Police Department announced May 19 the death of Andreanna Flores, who was reported missing on the same date in 2023.

Her 25-year-old boyfriend, Gilberto Sepulveda, has now been charged with capital murder, police said.

Flores’ mother, Andrea Winter, has long suspected Sepulveda was involved in her daughter’s disappearance, KENS reported.

“Why did you take my baby away from me?” Winter said, according to the station.

When Flores went missing, police said it came as she was preparing to leave an abusive relationship with Sepulveda, according to WOAI.

Winter said at the time that Flores “would have never left her babies” — an infant son and 2-year-old daughter, KENS reported.

The year-long investigation spanned multiple jurisdictions in Texas and into New Mexico, authorities said. Ultimately, it led to Sepulveda’s arrest.

Police did not say if Flores’ body has been found. It’s unclear how she died.

Sepulveda, also charged with continuous family violence and violation of a protective order, was jailed on a $813,000 bond, according to police.

Flores was described in a GoFundMe as “a light in the darkness for her loved ones.”

“She was a devoted mother to her two children,” the GoFundMe said. “She was an old soul in many ways, who loved the simple things in life.”

New Braunfels is about a 35-mile drive northeast of San Antonio.

This story was originally published May 20, 2024 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Mom of 2 vanished leaving abusive relationship, family said. Boyfriend is now charged."