The mother of Ayla Reynolds says she needs to find the missing toddler’s father so a wrongful death lawsuit against him can move forward.
Taking a few minutes out of her day at work, Trista Reynolds told CBS 13 she often wonders what her daughter would be like now.
“Would she have short hair? Long hair? Would it still be blonde the way that it was?” Reynolds said during an interview via video conference.
She’s still fighting for justice, more than seven years after Ayla disappeared.
The toddler was staying with her father, Justin DiPietro, at a home in Waterville. He told police he thought Ayla was abducted, but investigators have ruled that out.
[Mother of Ayla Reynolds sues girl’s father for wrongful death, seeks help finding him]
“I’m stuck and I really have not much more I can do,” said Reynolds.
Last year, a judge officially declared Ayla dead, paving the way for Reynolds to file a wrongful death lawsuit against DiPietro. The problem is no one can find him.
“I am begging for the public to help me right now,” said Reynolds.
She posted a plea on social media Tuesday morning, writing that time is running out.
[Judge declares missing toddler Ayla Reynolds dead]
If DiPietro isn’t served with the summons by Sunday, 90 days from when the complaint was filed, the whole case could be tossed out.
According to court documents, DiPietro’s last known address was in California. Court filings say when an official tried to notify him of another court matter in 2017, DiPietro denied his identity, though the official said he matched the photo.
Reynolds’ Facebook post had been shared more than 12,000 times by 5 p.m.
“It’s hit big and I think it’s hitting big because everybody wants to see justice for Ayla and I think everybody has seen that I’ve worked really hard to get where I am to get her justice,” Reynolds said.
[Ayla’s mother: ‘This isn’t how I wanted her to be a star’]
She’s hoping for a miracle, and still calling on the other people who were in the home that night to come forward with information.
“It would mean a lot,” she said. “It would mean the whole world to me.”
The Attorney General’s Office said when someone can’t be served within 90 days, the court usually gives the plaintiff notice and a little more time.
There’s typically the option of re-filing and starting the process over again, but Reynolds said that also costs more money.