HAMILTON — A Hamilton architect has not been seen or heard from while on vacation in Mexico in nearly two weeks, his family tells our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati.
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José Gutierrez, 36, flew to Mexico from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) on December 22 to visit his fiancée and it was a trip he took frequently, WCPO reports.
The couple was planning to get married in September.
Gutierrez and his fiancée, Daniela Pichardo, went out to a bar with her sister and cousin in the north-central state of Zacatecas on Christmas Day and left to go back to his fiancée’s home but never arrived, his family said.
None of the four have been heard from since, WCPO says.
“My mind is racing, just finding myself now crying every now and again,” said Luís, one of José's younger brothers.
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Zacatecas is currently one of several Mexican states with a “Do Not Travel” advisory for American tourists “due to crime and kidnapping,” according to the United State’s State Department’s website.
“We here are United States citizens on this side and our brother is in a whole different country where we have no [idea of] where he’s at so it makes it very difficult,” Luís told WCPO. “It falls on us to try and do whatever we can to help him come back.”
Gutierrez’s family held a prayer service at St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church in Hamilton Friday night and hope the power of prayer will help bring him, his fiancée and her relatives home safely, according to WCPO.
Jose is the oldest of seven siblings.
“We are a numerous family and without him, it’s really hard,” Luis said.
He currently works as a project coordinator as Champlin Architecture in Cincinnati, according to their website. He’s been there the last three years, WCPO reports.
The FBI and Mexican authorities are working Gutierrez’s case, no there have been no updates on those investigations, his family said.
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