Dolores Araujo of Brownsville said her son has been missing since Tuesday and left no trace behind. She can’t understand it.
Saturday morning she and one of her other sons continued their search, passing out flyers, for 17-year-old Jose Araujo, better known as “Baby Face” amongst his friends.
She said there have been no problems leading up to her son’s disappearance.
"Actually he's been more attentive (with) me - since I’ve been ill he's been there for me,” Araujo said. “And no he wasn't mad. We ate together, watched TV together, we joked around that day - he didn’t' leave the house mad."
Araujo said on Tuesday, Jose went to his friend’s home at Las Brisas Apartments, near Bernard Road and Price Road.
She said her son's friend told her that Jose stayed just a few minutes, and then left.
"My son has always answered my texts in the middle of the night when I get up and he's not home,” Araujo said. “He'll always (text) me back and tells me ‘mom I’m ok, mom I’ll be home, mom I’m at a party or a friend's house.’ It's not like him not to answer his phone or not to answer his texts."
The Brownsville Police Department is now investigating this as a missing person’s case.
The teen had fallen behind on some school credits, but is attending the Brownsville charter high school to catch-up.
The inconsolable mother said she does not suspect her son was doing drugs or hanging with the wrong crowd.
The teen’s brother Miguel Sosa traveled from Florida after hearing his brother was missing to help in the search. His three other brothers are also traveling to Brownsville from Ohio to help and console their mother.
"Somebody has to know something,” Sosa said. “Give us a call. We're not looking-out to prosecute anybody, we just want him. If he's injured, leave him there at the hospital at the entrance, leave him at a store, leave him somewhere."
The family is hopeful Jose is alive.
To contact the family with information in this case call Dolores Araujo at 956-408-8726. You can also contact Brownsville Police at 956-546-TIPS.
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