In the late summer of 2011, a 43-year-old man named Lorenzo Sanchez Salas embarked on a perilous journey, one that would lead to his disappearance. On August 20, 2011, he was last seen in the harsh and unforgiving landscape north of Altar, Sonora, Mexico, attempting to cross the border into the United States. He was not alone; a companion traveled with him, bearing witness to the final known moments of Lorenzo's trek.
Their journey had already spanned two days when Lorenzo's health took a sudden and severe turn.
The account provided by his traveling companion paints a grim picture of Lorenzo's last known hours. He began to vomit and soon found himself unable to continue walking. In a moment of desperation, he had left his backpack behind approximately 20 minutes before he could go no further. He was reportedly left on a mountain that was described as being very inaccessible. From that point, the group he was with continued their journey for another six to eight hours before finally reaching a highway. It was near Highway 86 that they were apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol around August 26, 2011.
At the time of his disappearance, Lorenzo was described as a Hispanic male, standing at 64 inches tall and weighing between 110 and 120 pounds. He had black, medium-short hair that was somewhat shaggy, and brown eyes. A small, almost imperceptible scar was noted near his right eyebrow. He was last seen wearing a green, medium-sized shirt, size 30 black jeans, and black shoes of a size 27 in Mexican sizing. Among his possessions were a backpack and his voter ID card. The Pima County Medical Examiner's Office took the official report of his disappearance on September 28, 2011. The case of Lorenzo Sanchez Salas is a story of a journey that ended in uncertainty, a narrative of a man who vanished into the vast and rugged terrain of the U.S.-Mexico border, leaving behind only a few personal items and the haunting account of his final struggles.Last Seen: Aug 20, 2011
