“My Son Deserves to Be Found”: Family Still Seeking Answers After 15 Years

“My love for my son has and will never change, and neither has my hope of bringing him home,” Laura Suazo-Ortiz told the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), nearly 15 years after her son, Angel Garcia, disappeared. "I will continue saying his name, sharing his story and waiting for the day my child comes home.”

The last time Laura saw her son was on the morning of Oct. 21, 2011, at their home in Hartford, Connecticut. That morning, she woke up Angel for his classes at Manchester Community College before heading to work. When she returned home that evening around 8 p.m., Angel was not there.  

At first, Laura wasn’t alarmed. But Angel rarely stayed out later, and when midnight passed with no sign of him, she knew something was wrong. Laura called everyone she could think of. His friends told her Angel had been riding his dirt bike with them earlier that day and later continued alone near the Connecticut River in East Hartford. That was the last known sighting of Angel.  

Once authorities were alerted, law enforcement and community members searched by land, air and water, but nothing, not even Angel’s dirt bike, was found. Years later, there are still no confirmed leads about what happened to Angel.  

Angel’s red Honda dirt bike. (Courtesy of NCMEC) 

Angel was 19 years old when he went missing, and although he was not legally a child, NCMEC can assist with cases involving critically missing young adults at the request of law enforcement. In 2025, there were 865 cases of missing young adults reported to NCMEC.

To bring renewed attention to Angel’s case and, ultimately, provide his family with the answers they have been waiting for, NCMEC is releasing a new age progression image showing what Angel may look like today at 34 years old. 

Angel Garcia age progressed to 34 years old. (Courtesy of NCMEC)     

When Laura talks about Angel, she describes him as “loving, caring, respectful and incredibly funny.” She remembers the immense love he held for his loved ones and says his absence has left a feeling of emptiness in their family that has remained throughout the years. 

“I miss my son so much, I miss him more than words can express,” Laura said. “His memory is always present in me, whether it be by seeing a child playing with toys like he did as a child or listening to certain songs that help me feel connected to him, it’s the little things that bring back memories.”

Left: Angel and his mother, Laura Suazo-Ortiz. Right: Angel and his sister, Rose Jimenez. (Courtesy of Laura Suazo-Ortiz)

Angel prior to his disappearance. (Courtesy of Courtesy of Laura Suazo-Ortiz)

Laura continues to plead with anyone who may know something about Angel’s disappearance to come forward. “My son is not just a missing person; he is my son, he is a brother, a nephew, grandson, uncle, cousin and a friend,” Laura said. “My family deserves answers. I deserve answers and my son deserves to be found. Please help me bring my son home.”

To generate fresh leads, NCMEC and its partner GSTV, the national digital video network, will run Angel’s poster on gas station screens across Connecticut through the end of October.

If you have any information about Angel or his disappearance, please call NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678 or the Hartford Police Department at 1-800-757-4000. 

You can view Angel’s missing poster here: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1183360/1.