40-year-old Asen Simeonov, the main suspect in the kidnapping of 11-year-old Natalia Asenova, is well known to law enforcement. In the past, he was the subject of a large-scale search operation after going on the run for several days. During the previous search, he used abandoned and uninhabited houses, where he followed the development of the operation via radio and television. It is for this reason that the police are avoiding reporting details about the direction of the investigation and the actions taken, Nova TV reports.
Investigators believe that the man has experience in hiding and is able to survive for a long time without access to food and water, which further complicates the search operation.
Meanwhile, Natalia's mother, on the air of “Hello, Bulgaria“, for the first time publicly told her version of the events on the night of the disappearance. According to her, early Monday morning, her ex-partner broke into the home while the family was sleeping. The woman claims that she was tied up and beaten, resulting in a broken arm. According to her, the man threatened to kill her if the child did not go with him. Out of fear, Natalia left home with him.
Family members claim that after being taken away, the girl managed to contact a relative twice by phone. According to them, she only asked if her mother was alive and safe.
New questions are also raised by the information about a restraining order issued against the man in the past. According to Natalia's sister, one was imposed, but was subsequently dropped. Organizations working with victims of domestic violence comment that in such cases, the victim's testimony can often be sufficient grounds for imposing and maintaining protective measures.
At the moment, there are no other reliable signals about the child's whereabouts outside the Yunak and Barzitsa areas. That is where the main search operations continue today. According to the volunteers, the distance from Konstantinovo to the place where they were allegedly spotted could be covered on foot in several days, which corresponds to the time that has passed since their disappearance.
The search was further complicated by heavy rains last night. However, the teams remain on the ground in the hope that the latest witness signals will help find the girl and her safe return to her family.