Cincinnati architect and fiancée missing in Mexico, family fears abduction
Jose Gutierrez is a Miami University graduate and a Hamilton resident.
HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) - A Hamilton man is missing in Mexico, and his family is desperate for his return.
Jose Gutierrez received his masters from Miami University and works for a Cincinnati-based firm as an architect.
He was last seen domestically at CVG Airport, from which he departed on Dec. 22 for Zacatecas, one of Mexico’s 31 states.
Zacatecas is located in the north-central part of the country midway between Monterrey and Mexico City.
Jose was going to visit his fiancée, something his family says he does often. The couple has a 2023 wedding date.
“He goes about three times per year,” Brandie Gutierrez, Jose’s sister, said Wednesday night.
Brandie says she last heard from Jose and his fiancée when they went out to eat some days into their trip. She doesn’t know what happened, but she says news agencies carried troubling reports of an incident that night.
“The bars actually noticed screams,” she said. “There is something that is not right.”
The couple haven’t been seen or heard from since. His family believes both he and his fiancée could have been abducted.
An agency of the Mexican government whose mission is to find people reported missing confirms it is looking for Jose.
His family says they’ve reached out to the FBI and U.S. government officials for additional help. They also say they’ve filed a police report with Hamilton PD.
FOX19 has reached out to the FBI and Hamilton PD. Neither party responded at the time of this writing.
The U.S. Department of State has a travel advisory for Mexico that includes Zacatecas.
The locality-specific advisory language reads: “Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping. Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. U.S. citizens and [lawful permanent residents] have been victims of kidnapping.”
Brandie describes Jose as a kind and gregarious man.
“He loves socials. He loves to dance. He’s a good guy,” she said.
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