By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-19 22:52:17 | Updated at 2024-11-23 18:47:25
3 days ago
A man who traveled to Florida with his new boss to help with the clean up after two hurricanes tore through mysteriously vanished after a frantic call with his mom.
Ernesto Jacob Mederos, 21, has not been seen or heard from since November 13, three days after he told his mom Crystal Gonzalez that he was heading to Florida.
He was accompanied by Phillip Garner, a man he'd met a week earlier doing 'security work' in Texas.
Garner is a registered sex offender in Texas who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in 2007, according to his national sex offender file seen by DailyMail.com.
According to the file, he must remain on the register for life, and verify his identity annually.
The devastated family shared a tragic update on Tuesday claiming that Mederos' body had been discovered in Florida. It is unclear whether the reported death is under investigation.
They're desperately searching for answers about his final moments and the work he was conducting with Garner.
Gonzalez had shared photographs of Ernesto, who goes by Jay, on social media, in a last-ditch bid to find her son alive, claiming the last time they spoke her son told her he was distressed and trying to get home.
Garner had reportedly told Gonzales there was 'work in construction' in Florida, assuring her that her 'son was in safe hands and ... would be back in two weeks.'
Ernesto Jacob Mederos, 21, has not been seen or heard from since November 13, three days after he told his mom Crystal Gonzalez that he was heading to Florida
He was accompanied by Phillip Garner, a man he'd met a week earlier doing 'security work' in Texas
A man who traveled to Florida with his new boss to help with the clean up after two hurricanes tore through mysteriously vanished after a frantic call with his mom
The duo left for Florida on November 10, but by November 13 Jay called his mom and revealed he wanted to come home.
Gonzalez said she made plans for her son to return home, but the situation rapidly deteriorated and her son allegedly told her he was going to kill himself.
A GoFundMe has now been set up to help Gonzalez with the unexpected expenses she now faces in burying her son.
'Jacob was an amazing young man with a pure spirit and kind heart. His mother cannot afford to have a funeral for him without our help,' the friend who established the appeal said.
'This is a beautiful family that truly deserves our help. No mother should have to worry about not being able to bury their son.'
Garner is a registered sex offender in Texas and must annually provide updates regarding his location and appearance
He will remain on the sex offender registry for life. He was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2007
The devastated family shared a tragic update on Tuesday claiming that Mederos' body had been discovered in Florida. It is unclear whether the reported death is under investigation
His disappearance and apparent death remains shrouded in mystery, with sheriff's departments across four Florida counties denying any involvement.
Gonzalez maintains that her son's last known whereabouts when he was alive was in Sarasota County, which was hit by Hurricane Milton in early October.
The grieving family are now demanding answers from Garner, Jay's traveling companion.
Garner is a registered sex offender in Texas and must annually provide updates regarding his location and appearance.
