Carla Vicentini, a 22-year-old engineering student from Brazil, arrived in the United States in January 2006, filled with excitement for a cultural exchange program she had long saved for. Unhappy with her initial job and living situation, she and a fellow exchange student relocated to Newark, New Jersey, moving into an apartment on Ferry Street. She had just begun a new job at the Mediterranean Manor.
In the early morning hours of February 10, 2006, Carla was at the Adega Bar and Grill on Ferry Street, visiting a friend who worked there. She was seen conversing and drinking with an unidentified man. She told her friend that she was going to the man's car to see a photograph and would then head to her nearby apartment. Carla Vicentini was never seen or heard from again.
The investigation into Carla's disappearance revealed perplexing and, at times, contradictory information. Her jacket, wallet, and passport were discovered in her apartment, suggesting she may have returned home after leaving the bar. This detail seemed unusual to some, as it was a cold and snowy night, making it unlikely she would have gone out again without her coat. The man she was last seen with is described as a white male in his thirties, with short salt-and-pepper hair and blue or light-colored eyes; his first name may have been Antonio. He is considered a person of interest, though some accounts from bar security suggested they saw Carla say goodbye to the man and walk toward her apartment alone. A few days after she went missing, a mysterious phone call was made to her boss's cell phone where someone screamed for help, but it has never been confirmed if this call was related to her case.
The case has been marked by a lack of significant physical evidence, with no body or major traces of Carla ever being found despite extensive searches. Speculation has surrounded both the unidentified man and her landlord, who provided varying accounts of the night she vanished and left for Brazil shortly after her disappearance. The landlord reportedly told authorities he was returning to finalize a divorce. Carla had allegedly confided in her boyfriend in Brazil about an unsettling incident involving the landlord shortly before she went missing. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the person or persons responsible for her disappearance. Despite the passage of time, the investigation remains open but is considered a cold case, leaving her family with unanswered questions. Her mother holds onto the belief that her daughter was murdered, as Carla was in constant contact with her family and would not have vanished on her own. The disappearance of Carla Vicentini is a heart-wrenching story of a young woman's dream turning into a mysterious and unresolved tragedy.Last Seen: Feb 9, 2006
