Ernest Lopez Salado Sr., a 61-year-old Hispanic man, was last seen the morning of October 29, 1998, between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. leaving his home on Dillon Road in Indio Hills, California. He owned a ten-acre date farm on Jackson Street and at the time of his disappearance was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 175 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and may have had a mustache. He predominantly spoke Spanish.

Neighbors reported hearing gunshots around the time he vanished. Two weeks later, on November 11, 1998, his maroon 1988 Chevrolet truck (California plate 5P84746) was found abandoned off Interstate 10 in south-central Los Angeles. Investigators reported possible traces of blood inside the vehicle and that Salado’s .22 caliber revolver was missing; the truck’s radio was tuned to an English-language station, reportedly unusual for him. Foul play is suspected and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department continues to list the case as unsolved.

If anyone knew Ernest, his routines, or saw that truck in late October or November 1998, please share what was seen or heard.