Sacramento children missing since mother's 2024 death, grandmother hopeful for return

Athena and Mateo Lee have been missing for over a year and a half after their mother was found dead in their home.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 8:55pm

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Athena and Mateo Lee, now 5 and 4 years old respectively, have been missing since July 2024 when their mother Angelica Bravo was found dead in their Sacramento home. Their grandmother Dawn Bodea remains hopeful the children will be found, as the FBI continues to investigate the case and offer rewards for information leading to their whereabouts or the location of their biological father Camron Lee, who is believed to have taken them.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Athena and Mateo Lee has devastated their family, who are desperate to find the children and bring them home. The case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in missing persons cases, especially when the suspected abductor is a biological parent. The ongoing search for the children and their father has garnered national attention and resources from the FBI.

The details

Angelica Bravo was found dead in her north Sacramento home in July 2024. Investigators believe her children's biological father, Camron Lee, took Athena and Mateo and fled to Mexico the same day. The FBI and local police have been searching for the children and Lee ever since, offering rewards and working with global law enforcement, but the children's current whereabouts remain unknown.

  • Angelica Bravo was found dead in her home on July 8, 2024.
  • Camron Lee's car was seen crossing into Mexico on the same day as Bravo's death.
  • It has been over a year and a half since Athena and Mateo Lee were last seen.

The players

Athena Lee

The 5-year-old daughter of Angelica Bravo who has been missing since July 2024.

Mateo Lee

The 4-year-old son of Angelica Bravo who has been missing since July 2024.

Angelica Bravo

The mother of Athena and Mateo Lee who was found dead in her Sacramento home in July 2024.

Camron Lee

The biological father of Athena and Mateo Lee who is believed to have taken the children after their mother's death.

Dawn Bodea

The grandmother of Athena and Mateo Lee who remains hopeful the children will be found.

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What they’re saying

“It's been really hard. There's not a day that goes by where we don't think about them and what they are doing.”

— Dawn Bodea, Grandmother of Athena and Mateo Lee

“Athena was her mini-me, so much like her.”

— Dawn Bodea, Grandmother of Athena and Mateo Lee

“It always used to surprise me at how high he would climb on jungle gyms. He had no fear.”

— Dawn Bodea, Grandmother of Athena and Mateo Lee

“We believe every day until we know otherwise.”

— Gina Swankie, Public Affairs Office of the FBI Sacramento Field Office

“It feels like a failure to us every day that goes by that we haven't been able to reunite them.”

— Gina Swankie, Public Affairs Office of the FBI Sacramento Field Office

What’s next

The FBI is continuing to work with local and global law enforcement agencies to locate Athena and Mateo Lee, offering rewards for information that leads to their whereabouts or the location of their father Camron Lee.

The takeaway

The disappearance of Athena and Mateo Lee is a heartbreaking case that highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in missing persons cases, especially when the suspected abductor is a biological parent. Their grandmother's unwavering hope for their return is a testament to the resilience of families affected by such tragedies.