TAMPA, Fla. — The date was April 28, 1993.
Bonnie Lee Dages, who was 18 at the time, left to meet her boyfriend at a Kash n' Karry store with her 4-month-old son, Jeremy Lee Dages.
The pair left their Lithia home to head toward the store, which used to sit at the intersection of Lithia Pinecrest Road at East Lumsden Road in Brandon. Now, the grocery store is a Walmart Market.
Detectives say neither has been seen since. The mother's van, however, was found by Hillsborough County detectives still sitting in the parking lot of the store two days after they disappeared.
Nearly 27 years later, Linda Hershberger continues looking for answers as detectives search for clues surrounding the disappearance of her daughter and grandson.
She spoke to the media Tuesday and said her daughter had fallen into a life that was "not a pretty picture." According to Hershberger, Bonnie was in a secret relationship with an older man -- a neighbor. She says Bonnie had recently inherited money and gave some of it to that man.
Friends told Hershberger Bonnie was planning on meeting that older man the night she and the baby disappeared.
She says deputies spoke to that man years ago, but he said he barely knew Bonnie. He's never been arrested. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says the case remains active.
"Today, we are still searching for that one piece of information that will give us the answers to the question: Where are Bonnie and Jeremy?" said Hersberger, who was surrounded by other family members.
Hershberger plans on representing both her daughter and grandson at the Tallahassee for the Florida Missing Children's Day ceremony on Friday as well.
If you know anything about what happened to Bonnie Lee Dages and Jeremy Lee Dages, contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office by calling either 813-247-8200 or 1-800-873-TIPS.
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