Search continues for missing siblings after burned van is found in Galveston

Texas EquuSearch has activated a search for Rogelio "Roy" Escobar and his sister Dina Escobar who was last seen Aug. 27, 2018. EquuSearch says they located a van Sunday that belonged to Dina Escobar. Texas EquuSearch has activated a search for Rogelio "Roy" Escobar and his sister Dina Escobar who was last seen Aug. 27, 2018. EquuSearch says they located a van Sunday that belonged to Dina Escobar. Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Search continues for missing siblings after burned van is found in Galveston 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

The search for two Houston siblings reported missing over a week ago continued Thursday after a charred van belonging to one of them was found on a Galveston beach over the weekend.

A Texas Equusearch team of about 12 people combed a 5-mile area on Wednesday with all-terrain vehicles searching for any signs of Dina Escobar, 60, and her brother Rogelio "Roy" Escobar, 65.

Weather conditions postponed some search efforts this week, said Jack Boggess, the search coordinator for Texas Equusearch.

"We got ATVs and foot people, but I don't know what we can do today," Boggess said Thursday. "It's a downpour, so it's hard. You've got rattlesnakes, you've got mosquitoes, you've gotta be careful, you've gotta be safe. That's the problem we're running into."

The Escobars were reported missing last week, only a few days after family say Dina went to look for her brother, who was last seen at his Houston home on Prudence Drive on Aug. 26. She left in a white 2007 Chevy Uplander van with a taped back window and paper tags.

Texas Equusearch found remnants of that van on the 11 Mile Road beach while searching in Galveston. Though fire had destroyed much of the vehicle — including its vehicle identification number — the group was able to identify it because of the missing back seats, which is where Dina Escobar would store cleaning supplies and other items.

Boggess said the search team canvassed a 5-mile radius near where the van was found for signs of the two missing people, but came up empty.

"We look for anything out of the ordinary," Boggess said. "Not just a person, we can't have tunnel vision."

The Houston Police Department's missing persons unit and the Galveston Police Department are also involved with the search efforts and are currently investigating the case. A HPD spokesman said that they are aware the van was recovered in Galveston and that there is nothing new to report on the search.

Rogelio Escobar is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. It is not known what he was last wearing.

Dina Escobar is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white shirt and black jeans.

Boggess, who has been helping organize searches for missing people with Texas Equusearch for the last 10 years, said he has never been involved in a search like this one.

"To my knowledge, we've never had a brother and sister missing."

Anyone with information should contact the Houston Police Dept at (832) 394-1840 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309‐9500.

Nick Powell covers Galveston for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.com