BUCKEYE, AZ — Buckeye police are asking for the public's help locating a woman who went missing in late May.
Police say 46-year-old Hope Tucker was with her adult son when their vehicle broke down on Interstate 10 near Verrado Way in the early hours of May 22.
Hope and her son, who is autistic and has limited communication ability, left the vehicle to seek shade.
Police believe after that, Hope may have suffered a life-threatening medical emergency.
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Just after 11 a.m. the same day, an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper located the vehicle on I-10, and it was towed.
Buckeye police made contact with Hope's son during a call at a gas station on Watson Road on May 24. He appeared to be in medical distress and was taken to the hospital, where he remained for about a month.
Hope's son, who is now in the care of a relative, reported the information to the relative on Saturday, who then called Phoenix police.
Phoenix police notified Buckeye police, who then initiated a search for Tucker.
Police say they've attempted to ping Tucker's phone with no success. Anyone with information on Tucker's location is urged to call 911 or share their tip online.
Hope's father LeRoy Tucker told ABC15 on Tuesday he never thought he would be in this position. LeRoy said he reported his daughter missing Saturday after he was able to speak with his grandson Tashawn.
Tashawn was the last person to see Hope on May 22.
The last time LeRoy texted with his daughter was around Mother's Day. He said he didn't realize his grandson was in the hospital until he was contacted last week.
LeRoy said he tried to get a hold of his daughter, but ultimately rushed to the Valley on Friday.
"She was so overprotective of Tashawn, I can’t imagine them being apart," said LeRoy.
Hope's father said he was able to talk to Tashawn on Saturday about what happened.
"They had been evicted from their home and were driving around in different locations parking," said LeRoy.
He said when their car broke down, the pair went looking for shade. Tashawn told his grandpa they found a hillside where there was a tree.
"They laid down for like a nap and [Hope] stopped breathing," said LeRoy. "And she didn’t have a voice."
LeRoy also told ABC15 he believes the family dog was with the pair and is also missing.
