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Corozal Couple Missing, Families Stressed
posted (June 5, 2017)
Right now, two Corozal families are very worried about their loved ones, 32 year-old Zeidy Orozco, and her 41 year-old boyfriend, Baltazar Lopez. The couple have been missing for 72 hours now, and the hope to find them alive and well is dwindling with every passing hour.

Our News team has been out all day in Corozal, and they were along with search parties looking for Orozco and Baltazar. Daniel Ortiz examines at the troubling aspects of their disappearance which has these families fretting tonight. Here's that story:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
This evening, the families of 31 year-old Zeidy Orozco, and 41 year-old Baltazar Lopez finished a long day's search in the remote parts of Corozal.

They've been looking for the couple for 4 days now; and these loved-ones are starting to confront the very grim possibility that this search will end with them retrieving Zeidy's and Baltazar's bodies.

Yet, they are still hopeful.

Martin Lopez - Brother of Baltazar Lopez
"The last hope is finding them alive, because for that reason we are searching daily without stop. We have run approximately all the surrounding areas - Corozal Town without stop."

Troy Ferguson - Brother-in-law of Zeidy Orozco
"There is a little think in the back of your mind saying after 3 days we are not looking for them alive, but hope is still there are somewhere maybe tied up or something like that. We want to always keep hope that they are still alive. But the dark reality is slipping in now because of all the time that has passed already."

The most worrisome element of their disappearance is that Zeidy's car was set on fire and completely destroyed. Police found it here in an area off the road which links the Corozal Villages of Yo Chen and Patchakan. It's very remote, and it is surrounded by cane fields - making it rather difficult to find. We needed the help of the families to properly guide us here. Whoever torched the car, clearly didn't want it found easily.

Troy Ferguson - Brother-in-law of Zeidy Orozco
"One of the owners of the area where it was found was a co-worker of the family members and they told him they found a vehicle. They didn't specify it was that vehicle that we were looking for, but they found a vehicle and we headed right there and it that vehicle and that's the way we knew that. Her particular vehicle had a problem with the ignition. It had a key stuck in, so they put on an adaption ignition on the other side. I told them let us check the ignition, the keys can't be burnt and as such we found the key in the ignition and it was through that we identified the vehicle."

"It's my opinion that something went wrong. We don't know what it is, who is responsible, but it doesn't seem to be something just on the fly. It was something plan or something deliberate. That's what I am interpreting."

Plus, the families insist that Zeidy and Baltazar would have checked in by now:

Troy Ferguson - Brother-in-law of Zeidy Orozco
"As for the female part, she is responsible for her daughter who you see in the picture and her father. So roughly around 8:30-9:00 on Friday we found out she had not arrive at her house, which is very unusual because she is very responsible when it comes to her daughter and of course her father."

Martin Lopez - Brother of Baltazar Lopez
"He was in charge of a construction in front of his mother's house. They had a casting that should have started 5am in the morning on Friday and it was unusual that he didn't reach, because he is a responsible person when it comes to work. Even that day was payday and the time started to run and we dial his number and it went directly to voicemail, no answer. We say that maybe he will come late, but nothing."

So, they've also been following in their footsteps to get a sense of their last confirmed sightings.

Troy Ferguson - Brother-in-law of Zeidy Orozco
"We know the areas they frequented and Mr. Baltazar was well-known for referee pool games. He was well-known to be in the pool place and we went there which we know because she has stated that she was going to pick him up there and we confirmed with a police officer who I think frequents or owned the pool shop and he told us that yes she did arrive, she got in and they left. As well the last credible sighting was in front of which was once the Social Security office for Corozal, across by a police officer as well, that yes they were there."

While the search has not yielded results as yet, some of these family members are not pleased with what they see as little police involvement in the case. They are demanding more from the cops in the search.

Martin Lopez - Brother of Baltazar Lopez
"We can't only depend on the police, that's why we are moving up asking for assistance. Every day we are spending on fuel, food, but with the hope that we might come up with some result."

Troy Ferguson - Brother-in-law of Zeidy Orozco
"I don't believe that they are doing all they can do. Yes they are assisting to an extent, but their search compared to what we are doing is not half as much. It shows that you care and we are part of your community. We are expecting that you guys protect us and whenever we need you, we are expecting you to respond to the fullest. Show us that you care."

Corozal Police didn't comment today.

This is the second couple from Corozal to go missing in 6 weeks. Viewers will remember the high profile case which made international news about Canadian Francesca Matus and American Drew Devoursney, who were found brutally murdered in a cane field.

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