Investigators discovered what appeared to be blood in an abandoned vehicle belonging to a man who went missing two weeks ago, Utah authorities said.
Salvador Conejo Pedraza of West Wendover, Nevada, was last seen by his family on the evening of June 20 as he was leaving his home, according to a Tooele County Sheriff’s Office news release issued on Tuesday, July 1.
He did not show up for work that weekend and left his wallet at home, according to authorities, and he has not been in contact since.
Two days later, deputies were dispatched to the Leppy Pass area near the Salt Flats, north of Wendover and along the Nevada-Utah border, following reports of an abandoned vehicle.
At the scene, they discovered that the car belonged to Pedraza.
Detectives also confirmed that the missing man’s vehicle passed through a way station on I-80 on June 21, at 3:21 p.m. local time.
“Surveillance footage from a nearby petrol station shows his vehicle travelling on Bonneville Speedway Road multiple times between June 20 and June 21, heading towards the area where it was ultimately found,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Sgt. Dane Lerdahl told CBS affiliate KUTV what authorities found in Pedraza’s vehicle.
“There is a brush guard … that had been damaged as well as some stains found inside the vehicle that appeared to be droplets of blood,” he told reporters. “We have taken samples and they are being tested currently, we are hopeful that may give us some more information on what may have happened.”
In an interview with NBC affiliate KSL, Pedraza’s son, Omar Conejo, described his disappearance as unusual.
“I feel like I can not rest, I do not want to rest, I just want to find my dad,” Omar complained.
Authorities used search and rescue teams, K9s, and drones after discovering the vehicle, but Pedraza has yet to be found, according to the sheriff’s office.
“It is hard. At this point, I am getting to… I mean, dead or alive, all I want is for him to come home. Omar told KSL, “I do not want to live my life knowing I never found him.”
Anyone with information on Pedraza’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Tooele County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 435-882-5600.
