Search intensifies for missing girl

PUNTA GORDA - Pilar Rodriguez was 3 years old when she disappeared nearly 11 years ago. It's a cold case, but it appears there are new developments that could finally provide a break in the case.

Tuesday afternoon, Charlotte County investigators searched an area on Duncan Road, east of Punta Gorda. Investigators with shovels began digging, searching an eight-acre property.

"It is strongly believed through statements that Pilar has been dead since 1999, but her body has never been recovered," said Sheriff Bill Cameron.

Pilar Rodriguez was only three, when she disappeared from Punta Gorda in 1999. The Hollywood girl was in the care of her babysitter and the babysitter's boyfriend. Both remain a focus of the investigation.

"There is nothing more important in this case than to bring people home to her family for her proper burial, and to bring anyone related to this death to swift justice," said the sheriff.

Investigators using sonar equipment and cadaver dogs focused their search near a children's play area behind a home.

A relative of the babysitter's boyfriend lives in the house, but Sheriff Cameron says the current residents are not subjects of the investigation. He won't say what lead them to the land or whether they think Pilar's remains are buried on the property.

"I can't answer that. We're looking for any evidence related to this case on that property," Cameron said.

Investigators do believe Pilar was murdered. After she disappeared, her babysitter told police her boyfriend beat the child and buried her. Investigators say they did a limited search of this same area in 1999 and many other locations.

"It was a very high profile and emotional case, and there was a lot of work done by the sheriff's office exhaustively to try to find Pilar's body," Cameron said.

The new search could last days and possibly end with answers finally about what happened to Pilar Rodriguez.

Investigators suspended their search Tuesday at 5 p.m. They will return to the site Wednesday morning.