Lauren

ON THIS DAY IN TRUE CRIME HISTORY — November 7, 2001 Bianca Lebron (10) climbed into a stranger’s van outside her elementary school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She told her classmates she was going shopping with her uncle. But Bianca didn’t have an uncle. It was around 8:30am, before classes had even started at Elias Howe School. Bianca, a fifth grader, had invited several friends to come shopping with her. They declined. Witnesses described an older, two-tone brown-and-tan van with tinted windows. The driver was believed to be a Hispanic man in his twenties. Bianca was never seen again. She was a happy, outgoing little girl who loved music, dancing, shopping and spending time with her family. Her mother, Carmelita Torres, has spent 25 years wondering what happened to her daughter. And there have been some interesting developments. In March 2026, Bridgeport police revealed they have persons of interest and a strong lead on the identity of the man driving that van. Investigators also disclosed that they excavated a Bridgeport home in 2025 after receiving a tip. They previously searched Seaside Park and even traveled to Puerto Rico to investigate a possible sighting. None of those efforts has publicly resolved Bianca’s disappearance. Police also released a new age-progressed photograph showing what Bianca might look like as an adult. Bianca would be 35 today. She’s never been found. Her death has never been confirmed. And investigators haven’t ruled out the possibility that she’s still alive. Twenty-five years later, her family is still waiting. Who was that man in the van? And what happened to Bianca? A $62,000 reward is being offered for information that helps resolve her disappearance. Anyone with information can contact Bridgeport Police at 203-576-7671.