Search for Missing Man Continues

Ronaldo Blanco has been missing for two weeks and despite police-led bloodhound and helicopter searches, efforts to find him have turned up nothing.

To assist in the search, family and friends have posted flyers in Summit and Wharton asking for anyone with information on his wherabouts to call the police.

At least two of those flyers hang in Summit with a photo of Ronaldo Blanco. One on the door of a Union Place liquor store, and another on the window of a bus stop shelter on Broad Street.

Blanco, 27, is single with no children and has been living in the United States for about seven years, according to his brother David, 26. The two have been sharing a Summit apartment on Morris Avenue. Blanco had been working as a painter in Summit but left the apartment for a short working stint in mid-November and hasn't been seen since.

To take on a roofing job in Dover, Blanco had moved in temporarily with a friend and his family in Wharton, which was closer to his job site. The last time Jairo Avila saw his friend Blanco was around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. The next day, Blanco was supposed to begin the roofing job.

Later on the morning of the 19th Avila, who was getting ready to work a different job, got a text message from a friend at Blanco's jobsite. The Costa Rican citizen never showed up to work. "I was shocked he didn't show up," Avila said, since Blanco came to live with them for the sole purpose of working nearby.

Around 6 p.m. that day, with no word from Blanco and all of his personal items including a cell phone still at the Wharton home, Avila knew something was wrong and informed police that Blanco had gone missing.

It's been two weeks since that initial report and authorities are still without clues in the case. Wharton Police followed up a bloodhound search for the missing man with an aerial one on Friday.

"They're looking for a dead body," Avila said.

Wharton Police Det. Bill Hamilton confirmed Friday that a state police helicopter searched nearby canals and wooded areas including the Morris Canal and Hedden County Park. According to a state police spokesperson, the agency isn't involved in the official investigation, and neither is the Summit Police Department. According to Sgt. Bill Zimmerman of the Wharton Police, Blanco's immigration status is being investigated by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

Summit police were informed by Wharton to let them know if Blanco turns up but Summit authorities are not assisting with the case outside of that. According to Lt. Andrew Bartolotti of the Summit Police Department, the Blancos aren't considered Summit residents. "The only connection to Summit is the gentleman used to live in Summit years ago," Bartolotti said.

Still, Wharton police continue to search for Blanco and said the department has not dealt with a case like this — where a person disappears without a trace — in a long time. 

"Usually, you could trace the cell phone or bank activity. There's been no contact whatsoever," Det. Hamilton said.

Family and friends also have not heard anything from Blanco.

"No one saw him leave the house. That's the mystery," said a close friend, Sonia Camacho. Camacho, who used to live in Summit, but now lives in Sparta, came to help with the search. She joined nearly 30 friends, many from New Jersey's Costa Rican community, according to family, who helped tape the missing-person flyers around Dover and Summit. Camacho describes Blanco as often shy and not very talkative. But she remembers him being depressed from time to time, something echoed by others close to him.

"I felt that he was depressed," said David Blanco, who has tried everything he could think of to find his brother.

“I'm sad," . "I was like 'wow'. I don’t know what happened to him. I went to Dover looking for him. I went to New York. I looked everywhere."

Avila said family and friends fear the worst.

"We thought he committed suicide," Avila said. Wharton police have not ruled out suicide and would only confirm the family suspicions about Blanco's mental state. Hamilton says Blanco was not officially diagnosed with any form of depression.

Police say they have thoroughly searched all nearby hospitals, jails and even contacted the Immigration and Naturalization Service. "We're pretty confident he hasn't left the country because his family still has his passport," Hamilton said. 

"We're kind of stumped, and exhausted all our options, " Hamilton added.

Wharton police are seeking the public's help with finding Ronaldo Blanco. Anyone with information is asked to call (973) 366-5893.