Petition urges government to allow Hania Aguilar's father to enter U.S. for her funeral
LUMBERTON, N.C. -- A new petition urging government officials to allow Hania Aguilar's father to enter the United States and attend her funeral is gaining a lot of attention online.
Hania, who was kidnapped on Nov. 5, will be laid to rest this week after authorities said they found a body which they believe belongs to the 13-year-old Wednesday.
According to the petition on Change.org, Hania's father lives in Guatemala and would need an expedited visa to attend the service.
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"No parent should be denied the right to attend their child's funeral, especially when Hania was a Citizen-born in Tennessee," part of the petition read.
EXCLUSIVE: Hania's mother, Elsa Hernandez, talks to ABC11 (in Spanish)
As of Monday morning, the document has more than 13,000 signatures.
Agents with the FBI and officers with Lumberton Police Department are still trying to track down the person(s) responsible for Aguilar's kidnapping and death.
Officials said while she was waiting to head off to school, a man forced Hania into an SUV and drove off.
The vehicle was found on Nov. 8 on Quincey Road, roughly 10 minutes from where Hania's body was found nearly three weeks later.
Authorities are still trying to identify the man seen walking near her abduction site.
A $30,000 reward remains in place for information related to the case.
The video above is from a previous story.
