Mexican police have reported that the vehicle in which an Ohio man who went to Mexico shortly before Christmas was using has been found, as have several dead bodies.
A Mexican news station reported that the vehicle in which Jose GutiƩrrez of Hamilton, Ohio, and his fiance Daniela Pichardo were traveling was found with multiple bullet holes, according to WCPO-TV.
According to WXIX-TV, the parents of GutiƩrrez, who live in Mexico, will be giving DNA samples to authorities in an attempt to determine if one unidentified body found at the site is their son.
According to the report, four bodies were found near where the car was found.
One of the individuals has been identified as Pichardo. The others have been identified as Pichardoās sister and cousin.
āAll these days, we just been praying and praying that itās not him, itās not him, and if the outcome comes that it is, we have to be ready,ā said Miguel GutiĆ©rrez, Joseās brother.
GutiƩrrez and the three people identified had disappeared after eating dinner at a restaurant in the state of Zacatecas on Christmas Day, according to WLWT.
No sign of them had been found until Wednesday when the car and a nearby burial site were discovered.
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According to WCPO, Pichardoās mother had been worried when the four did not arrive as scheduled after dinner. She had received a text message with an address.
The station reported that police told family members that the area was too dangerous and stopped them from going to the texted location.
Brandie GutiĆ©rrez, Joseās sister, said the family has feared the worst, given what they had learned about the night her brother went missing.
āThe bars actually noticed screams,ā she said, according to WXIX-TV.
The State Department advises against travel to Zacatecas.
āViolent Crime, extortion and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping,ā its advisory said.
GutiĆ©rrez received a masterās degree in architecture from Miami University and worked at Champlin Architecture in Cincinnati, according to WHIO-TV.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
