Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP16851)
On September 9, 2011, a 42-year-old man named Faustino Francisco Hernandez Tzic was last seen in Sasabe, Arizona, a small community on the U.S.-Mexico border. He, along with a group of others, began the journey of crossing the border from Mexico into the United States at approximately 5:00 PM. The group traveled through the challenging desert terrain, a journey that would prove to be arduous and ultimately lead to Faustino's disappearance.
He was a Hispanic/Latino male, standing between 5'0' and 5'2' tall and weighing between 125 and 155 pounds. He had black, wavy, short hair and brown eyes.
The day after the group set out, on September 10th, Faustino began to experience severe pain in one of his feet, making it difficult for him to continue. Around 5:00 PM that evening, a full 24 hours after they had started their journey, the group made the difficult decision to leave him behind. The expectation or hope for what would happen to him is not publicly known. Approximately two to three hours after Faustino was left on his own, other members of the group he had been traveling with were apprehended by authorities.
The Pima County Medical Examiner's Office is the primary agency investigating the disappearance of Faustino Hernandez Tzic. The case was officially reported on September 14, 2011. DNA samples have been collected to aid in potential identification efforts should any unidentified remains be discovered. The exact location where Faustino was left behind in the vast and often unforgiving Arizona desert remains a critical but unanswered question in this distressing case.
The disappearance of Faustino Hernandez Tzic is a story of a journey that took a tragic turn. What began as a hopeful border crossing with a group of companions ended with him being left alone and in physical distress in a remote and dangerous environment. The limited information available comes from a member of the group he was traveling with, leaving many questions unanswered about the precise circumstances that led to him being abandoned. His case is a somber reminder of the perils faced by many who attempt to cross the border, where the harshness of the natural environment can become an insurmountable obstacle. The investigation into what happened to Faustino continues.Last Seen: Sep 9, 2011
