Cruz-beltran Hector, 56, was last seen on October 4, 2023, in Gila Bend, Arizona, before he entered the surrounding Sonoran Desert and disappeared. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office had been alerted two days earlier, and the case is open but publicly sparse: there are no details about what he was wearing, whether he had water or supplies, or where he intended to go when he entered the desert.

Search efforts and investigation are hampered by the desert’s extreme temperatures and rugged terrain and by the lack of witnesses or recovered belongings. For Hector’s family and community, the absence of information has left many unanswered questions about his final movements and condition after he walked into the desert.

If anyone saw Hector in Gila Bend on or around October 4, 2023, or has information about his movements before he entered the desert, please come forward.