"From that day on until 2010, I still went back to Houston. I spent four days there, looking for her and her mom," he said.
It became a game of hits and misses.
Vito had lived in Miami, Florida since 1997 after he ended up marrying his live-in partner. But he was still looking for Christina and her mom.
Vito said his wife understood that he wanted to see his daughter.
"I was in Miami since 1997. Even my children were looking for her on Facebook. But the problem is we used different names that's the reason we cannot find each other," he said. "Ang nanay niya, ang ginamit na apelyido ay 'yung sa napangasawa na niya. Eh ang hinahanap ko 'yung Patricia DaRonco."
"There were seven Patricia DaRoncos. Every time I'm sending them a message, they were not [replying]," he added.
Vito once got information from Filipinos in Houston about the whereabouts of his daughter.
He learned that Patricia's former employers, a couple without a child, tried to take away a young Christina.
"Iyong pinagta-trabahuhan ni Patricia, kinidnap itong si Christina, kasi mag-asawa 'yun at walang anak. Nang itakas [si Christina], buti inabot ng nanay niya," he said, adding that he also got information that the two fled to New Orleans.
He almost lost hope, thinking Patricia and Christina were among the casualties when Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005.
Vito was not getting any younger, but somehow, after years of failed attempts, he found the will to continue his search.
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