CBS 7 - Your Eye on West Texas

Family Mourns the Loss of Their Teenager 1/29/13

Jennifer Samp
CBS 7 News
jsamp@cbs7.com
January 29, 2013

Odessa, TX - This Saturday (February 2) would have been Timothy Ryan Soto’s 20th birthday. His family says their memories as a star football player a big brother and a new father will always live on.

Val Soto remembers the day he held his newborn son 19 years ago he was a teenager himself.

“At first I was scared, but it’s a good feeling,” he said, “Having your first kid.”

He watched his son Timothy grow up to be a Monahans Loboes Football player.

“We were real proud of him,” Val said, “We didn't miss a game.”

Then he watched him graduate from high school and soon after Timothy became a father himself.

“He loved life,” he said, “He had little brothers and a daughter.”

But on September 20 the family's world changed.
Timothy went missing.

“I thought he was upset and he needed his space,” he said, “I was hoping he would come back.”

For nearly four months Timothy's family kept searching.

Then they say their worst fear came in a phone call from police over the weekend a body inside a crashed Camaro was found in an empty field in west Odessa.

“We were just praying and hoping that it wasn't him,” he said.

It was the same field Timothy's father passed countless times looking for him autopsy results are pending, but police confirm it was Timothy.

“We drove every evening when we could,” he said, “We drove looking for him contacting everyone to help out.”

Now with his son's rosary in hand Val is praying for answers on how this happened.

“God will come out of this,” he said, “Christ will come out of this and family will get closer.”

The family can now move forward with funeral arrangements. If you would like to donate you can go to any Complex Community Federal Credit Union and ask for the Timothy Ryan Soto fund.

“He is still my baby boy,” Val said.