A COUPLE has vanished after going on what appeared to be a routine meeting with building contractors in Mexico.
Friends and relatives are pleading for US authorities to step in as the mystery deepens after a troubling series of ATM withdrawals emerged and phone location data went dark.
Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz, 57, and Zafar Padamsee Mawani, 56, vanished after going to meet contractors in MexicoCredit: ABC7
The couple disappeared on May 20 while living in Tlalpan, in the far southern part of Mexico CityCredit: ABC7
Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz, 57, and Zafar Padamsee Mawani, 56, lived in the Chicago area for decades before moving to Mexico City in October, Ortiz’s niece told ABC affiliate WLS.
The couple disappeared on May 20 while living in Tlalpan, in the far southern part of Mexico City.
They had reportedly been caring for Mawani’s mother, who has Alzheimer’s.
Relatives said the men were trying to buy a lift chair for her when they went missing.
They were believed to be with two local contractors at the time.
A friend also claimed in a Facebook post that the pair were last active on WhatsApp at about 6:20pm.
They reportedly shared their location near Hospital MAC Periférico Sur, in the city’s southern corridor near the National Autonomous University of Mexico area.
“We think they shared their location out of fear,” the friend wrote, while pleading for anyone with contacts at the US Embassy, Mexico’s foreign ministry or the media to help.
The friend added: “The situation we’re living in in Mexico is very distressing.”
Mexican outlet Infobae reported that the men disappeared in the Isidro Fabela neighborhood of Tlalpan, in southern Mexico City, after leaving Huixquilucan to visit an elevator company linked to work planned at their home.
The friend said the men had been riding in the car of alleged providers of elevators for people with disabilities.
The couple has not been seen since.
People close to the case said Ortiz managed to share his location before his phone was turned off on Wednesday night.
They also said money had been withdrawn from the couple’s bank accounts as of Friday.
The couple had moved to Mexico to care for Mawani’s mother, who has Alzheimer’sCredit: ABC7
Ortiz was described as a longtime and beloved figure in Chicago’s hospitality industryCredit: ABC7
The unexplained activity has added to fears among loved ones in Chicago and Oak Park.
Mexican authorities are continuing to investigate the disappearance.
The Attorney General’s Office of Mexico City has issued a report linked to the missing couple.
But friends and relatives said they have received few updates as the search stretches on.
Investigators in Mexico City also shared photos identifying Mawani and Ortiz.
The Mexican consulate in Chicago said Wednesday afternoon that “No official information regarding this case has been reported.”
“The Consulate reaffirms its commitment to providing consular assistance within the scope of its authority, and any updates will be communicated through the appropriate institutional channels,” the statement added.
Mawani is a graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School and the University of Chicago, relatives said.
Ortiz was described as a longtime and beloved figure in Chicago’s hospitality industry.
Loved ones said he also had strong ties to the Oak Park community.
The State Department currently tells US travelers to exercise increased caution in Mexico City because of crime and kidnapping.
The advisory says violent and non-violent crime can happen across the capital.
It also urges Americans to use extra caution at night outside better-patrolled tourist areas
The disappearance comes just weeks before Mexico City is set to host five World Cup matches, including the tournament opener.
US officials have told Americans traveling to Mexico for the World Cup to plan ahead, expect big crowds, heavy traffic and longer travel times.
