💔 HEARTBREAKING DISCOVERY: Missing Chicago Couple Found Among Four B0dies Recovered from a Ma-ss Gr-ave — Weeks After Vanishing Without a Trace
Zafar Mawani and Guillermo Ortiz were found dead after going missing in Mexico City on May 20
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Zafar Mawani and Guillermo Ortiz.Credit : Guister/Instagram
A Chicago couple has been found dead weeks after they went missing in Mexico City.
Zafar Mawani and Guillermo Ortiz disappeared on May 20, after leaving their home in Mexico City to buy a chairlift for Mawani’s ailing mother, NBC Chicago, ABC7 Chicago and Mexican news outlet Infobae reported. The couple moved to Mexico City in October.
The sellers allegedly asked Mawani and Ortiz, both 56, to come to Mawani’s mother’s home, where they were installing the chairlift, to complete the purchase. The couple sent their real-time location to a friend before losing contact, according to the outlets.
Mawani and Ortiz disappeared south of Mexico City, about 31 miles east of the mountains of La Marquesa National Park, per NBC Chicago, citing authorities’ missing persons flyers.
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Zafar Padamsee Mawani and Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz.Guister/Instagram
On June 17, the authorities located the bodies of Mawani and Ortiz in a mass grave of four people in a wooded area at a property in La Marquesa, in Ocoyoacac, on the outskirts of Mexico City, per Infobae. A human limb was reportedly also found nearby.
Mawani’s family identified the couple as two of the victims on Wednesday, June 24, the Associated Press and ABC7 Chicago reported. A family friend also confirmed the couple’s death on GoFundMe.
“We are aware of reports circulating regarding Zafar and Guillermo,” a spokesperson for the family said in a statement to ABC7. “We are in direct contact with authorities to confirm accurate information. We ask for patience and privacy for the family during this time.”
The other victims are believed to be a married couple, aged 56 and 38, per Infobae. They have not been publicly identified at this time.
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Zafar Padamsee Mawani and Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz.Guister/Instagram
Five people were arrested in connection with the four bodies found, including former police officer, Yesenia V., the alleged leader of a kidnapping and robbery gang. The four other suspects were allegedly found carrying ammunition, narcotics and a black suitcase, per Infobae.
Gabriel M. and Roberick, both of Venezuelan origin, were also reportedly arrested in connection with the couple’s disappearance and murder.
DNA tests are being conducted to identify all four bodies, Infobae reported, citing the city’s Attorney General’s Office. Authorities have not publicly confirmed any of the victims’ identities at this time.
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The Attorney General’s Office of Mexico City, Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Missing Persons, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection and the State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office assisted in the search, per Infobae.
PEOPLE has reached out to Mexico City’s Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City for comment.
SOURCE: https://people.com/two-missing-americans-id-d-among-four-bodies-found-outside-mexico-city-12008029