It’s been just over a week since Alma Del Real vanished.
"Alma could be your sister, part of your family, anybody in your family." Susana Lagunas, Alma's aunt, said at a vigil Friday. "It's not only affecting me as a sister, as a niece, as a mother, it's affecting every single one of us.”
The 22-year-old disappeared after spending a night out on April 12th at Studio Rumba 205 on South Main Street in South Bend, Indiana. A friend reportedly dropped Alma off at her house around 3:30 that morning. “And that’s it. She vanished after that. Hasn’t contact anybody, hasn’t been on social media, hasn’t made any phone calls,” Capt. Phil Trent of the South Bend Police Department told NBC affiliate WNDU.
Detectives say Alma’s cell phone has been dead or turned off since the day she went missing, which is a major red flag for her family. Alma’s aunt Susana Lagunas says her niece was always on her phone, either texting or checking her Facebook.
“We're hoping that she’s alive and that she will come home. And we are very scared that the opposite is true,” Lagunas said.
Lagunas says family and friends have conducted several searches, and are desperate for people who may have seen anything to come forward. According to police, there have been a few instances of rumors circulating on social media about Alma’s whereabouts that have not been reported.
“What's evolved is we're hearing from close friends who are having discussions via social media,” Capt. Trent said. “Rather than discussing it amongst each other, if they could at least talk with us first.”
According to WNDU, a person in the auditorium at Friday’s vigil for Alma mentioned some people fear coming forward because of their legal status. Police said they will not question a person's immigration status if that person is a victim or a witness.
Alma Del Real is described as 5’5” tall, weighing 137 lbs, with long black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing light blue, skinny, high-wasted pants, a black crop top, and a tan leather jacket. If you have any information or have seen Del Real, please call the South Bend Police Department at (574) 235-9201.
