Investigators with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office reported late Monday afternoon they still have no leads in the case of missing Douglas man Jose Mendez Diaz.
Authorities have been in the Oak Park area since last Tuesday. Diaz was reported missing by friends late Monday evening, March 23, after he failed to return home from a friend’s house in an area off Gum Street.
According to what was reported by friends, several people were at the residence on Gum Street Sunday night drinking and watching a soccer game on television. Diaz reportedly left the residence around 11 p.m. A roommate stated he last spoke to Diaz on the phone around 2:30 a.m. on Monday morning and Diaz advised he was lost in the woods and cold.
Officials say friends of Diaz searched the area around the home looking for him the next morning because he had, in the past, become disoriented and had to be taken home by someone. Diaz had also blacked out at work several times just days prior to this incident, according to witnesses. After being unable to locate Diaz, he was reported missing.
Investigators have been in the Oak Park area speaking to all residents and performing searches in the areas around the last known location of Diaz. This area was searched by helicopter, with the assistance of the Georgia State Patrol, by foot, four-wheelers, golf carts and with the help of volunteers on horseback.
Sheriff’s Office officials state officers have followed and exhausted all leads in the search at this time.
Investigators know that Diaz came to the United States from Guatemala and that he has been in the country working for several years. Investigators have not been able to locate any family of his in the United States.
A more extensive search of the area will be done with the assistance of the Region 8 GSAR (Georgia Search and Rescue).
Sheriff’s officials received some criticism last week from local newspaper The Douglas Enterprise for failing to notify local media about the incident. DouglasNow.com was also not officially notified by any law enforcement agency.
Diaz was reported missing on March 23, and DouglasNow.com only found out about it after the sheriff’s office posted a picture of Diaz, along with a missing person’s alert, to its Facebook page around 9 p.m. March 24 as seen here:
Late Monday afternoon, DouglasNow.com received an e-mailed press release from sheriff’s office Detective Jamie Hersey, which contained the latest information provided in this article. The same e-mail also contained a supplemental report on the case by Det. Hersey, in which he attempts to explain his delay or, as in our case and other local media, his neglect in notifying the press. Here is that report:
The sheriff’s office continues to ask anyone with information regarding Jose Mendez Diaz to contact the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office at (912) 384-4227, Coffee E-911 (912) 384-7675 or your local law enforcement agency.