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Case Description
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Rene Layja, a 33-year-old man from Sonora, Mexico, traveled to Mesa, Arizona, on April 21, 1994, to visit his mother and undergo medical testing under a medical visa. Layja, who is described as being mentally disabled, was unfamiliar with the neighborhood he was visiting. On April 22, 1994, he informed his mother that he was going for a walk from her home in the 700 block of South Parsell Circle. When he did not return, his mother reported him missing at 7:40 p.m. At the time of his disappearanc ...Read More
Last Seen: Apr 22, 1994
Links to Additional Sources (3)
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Victim Details

Jan 24, 2026

Jan 24, 2026

Rene

Layja

33

33

6'3 inches

240 lbs

Hispanic

Male

Layja left his home in Mexico and arrived in Mesa, Arizona to visit his mother's home on April 21, 1994. He was in the United States on a medical visa so he could get medical testing done. The day after he arrived at his mother's, he told her he was going for a walk. He was not familiar with the neighborhood. When he did not return, his mother reported him missing at 7:40 p.m. At 3:00 a.m. on April 23, Layja knocked on a stranger's door in Gilbert, Arizona. He was dehydrated and confused at the time. The person called the police, who took him to Maricopa County Hospital for treatment. They didn't realize Layja was listed as a missing person in Mesa. Layja told the staff at the hospital that he lived in Sonora, Mexico. A social worker bought him a Greyhound bus ticket and dropped him off at the station. The bus driver stated Layja got out at Nogales, Arizona. He has never been heard from again. Layja's mother is now deceased. His disappearance remains unsolved.

Apr 22, 1994

Mesa

Arizona

Mesa

8

Mesa Police Department

01/24/2026