Concern is growing for a former Chicago couple living in Mexico City who haven’t been seen in more than a week.
Guillermo Jafett Hidalgo Ortiz and Zafar Padamsee Mawani lived in Chicago and Oak Park for decades and recently relocated to Mexico City, according to people close to the couple.
They said the couple had been caring for Mawani’s mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, and were in the process of buying a lift chair for her, along with two local contractors, when they disappeared on May 20.
Those close to the case said Ortiz shared his location before his phone was turned off on Wednesday night, and by Friday, withdrawals were made from the couple’s bank accounts.
Family members said in a statement they are cooperating with authorities and that their sole focus is the wellbeing of their loved ones.
We talked to a good friend of Ortiz’s, who has known him for decades.
“…There was a time there where he really couldn’t express who he was,” Brenda Arelano said. “But every, you know, he would wear a special like little pin or a hat and. As time went on and he made peace with his dad, he was like, you know what, I am who I am, I own who I am, and fashion became his outlet.”
Mawani is a graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School and the University of Chicago. Ortiz is a longtime, beloved employee and fixture in Chicago’s hospitality industry with strong ties in the Oak Park community.
The Attorney General’s Office of Mexico City has issued a report related to the couple’s disappearance.
