Sunday, April 3, 2022

The Disappearance of Eztli Cortez-Trujillo


Eztli Cortez-Trujillo has been missing since April 23rd, 2020. The then-22-year-old was last seen North Ogden, Utah. Shortly before vanishing, Eztli got into a minor car accident on North Ogden Divide Road. A GrubHub driver saw Eztli on the side of the road and asked them if they wanted a ride. Eztli accepted the offer, but the driver had to complete a food delivery first. When the driver returned to the scene a short time later, Eztli was gone. The Volkswagen Eztli was driving remained abandoned on the side of the road.

The GrubHub driver called police to report the abandoned vehicle. Once police determined that the vehicle belonged to Eztli, the officers attempted to contact them to no avail. Later, Eztli's roommates and family members were informed that the vehicle had been crashed and abandoned. This immediately raised red flags, as Eztli's car was very important to them, and their loved ones do not believe they would have abandoned it for an extended period of time. After 48 hours passed without any sign of them, Eztli was finally reported missing.


Initially, the Salt Lake City Police Department was assigned Eztli's case. Eztli's family members attempted to contact SLCPD numerous times to discuss the case, but the investigators were reportedly unhelpful. The case was then given to Weber County investigators. 

Through Weber County's investigation, it was revealed that Eztli's phone pinged in Taos, New Mexico after their disappearance. However, reports state that investigators did not do anything to follow up on the ping. New Mexico is located over 600 miles away from Utah - an approximate 15-hour-drive. There is no known connection between Eztli and that area. 

The case was eventually handed back to the SLCPD. Salt Lake City investigators are still in charge of Eztli's case today. Eztli's loved ones have criticized the SLCPD for not putting more effort into Eztli's case. 

Eztli's family members were reportedly told that it was difficult for investigators to get warrants to search Eztli's phone records or bank accounts because they did not have evidence that Eztli did not disappear on their own accord. Still, Eztli's family and friends maintain that it is out-of-character for them to disappear or to be out-of-touch for extended periods of time. 

Certain reports state that Eztli was struggling with their mental health at the time of their disappearance. However, there are other conflicting reports of this on social media. It's unclear if police believe mental health plays a role in Eztli's disappearance.

Searches with drones and K-9 dogs near the area where Eztli was last seen all ended unsuccessfully. Eztli remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to their whereabouts, please use this link to submit a tip.
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2 comments:

  1. what is with the broken english in the article? "them" should be "he" and you know it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eztli is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

      Delete