In the summer of 2015, a 32-year-old man from Guatemala named Jose Erasmo Hernandez-Chij vanished while attempting to cross into the United States. He was last heard from on July 30, 2015, while traveling through the vast and often unforgiving landscape of the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation in Pima County, Arizona. At the time, he was believed to be about a two-day walk from the city of Tucson.
Originally from Guatemala, Hernandez-Chij was journeying with a human smuggler, a 'coyote,' when he reportedly found himself unable to continue on foot. His last communication was a statement to his guide that he could walk no further and intended to find a road to turn himself over to immigration authorities. He was never heard from again.
Jose Erasmo Hernandez-Chij is described as a Hispanic male with black hair and black eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he stood between 5'9' and 5'11' and weighed approximately 185 to 195 pounds. He has several distinct physical characteristics, including a red birthmark on his right cheek, a brown or red mark near his right eye, and another birthmark on the right side of his chest under his rib area. When last seen, he was wearing a black shirt, blue canvas pants, and sneakers. He also wore a blue and white rubber bracelet.
The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Jose Erasmo Hernandez-Chij paint a harrowing picture of the dangers faced by migrants. His case is classified as a migrant disappearance, and there is a somber possibility that he may have succumbed to the harsh conditions of the desert. The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office in Edinburg, Texas, is listed as the investigating agency, along with the Consulate of Guatemala in McAllen, Texas. The vast and rugged terrain of the Tohono O'odham Nation where he was last seen presents significant challenges for search and recovery efforts. The lack of any contact or sightings since July 2015 leaves his family and authorities with unanswered questions, and his case remains a poignant example of the perils associated with unauthorized border crossings.Last Seen: Jul 30, 2015
