Sgt. Elder Fernandes, of the U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division, was the victim of suspected sexual contact abuse before disappearing from Fort Hood earlier this week.
Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a 1st Cavalry officer of public affairs, said the Army Criminal Investigation Command opened an investigation into the reported abuse a few months ago. The soldier handed over units due to reported sexual abuse.
Fernandes is 5 feet 5 inches and weighs 133 pounds. He was last seen Monday in a residence in Killeen, Texas, wearing a black shirt of physical training and army showers with black, orange and yellow shows.
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The information gathered so far indicates that Fernandes may have left the base himself, although his car was found in the parking lot of his unit, according to the Criminal Investigation Command.
“We are very concerned about the well-being of this Soldier and want to make sure he is okay in the first place,” Christopher Gray, CID spokesman, said in a statement. “If anyone has information in it, no matter how trivial you may think it is, we ask you to contact us immediately.”
(Courtesy of Killen Police Department)
Fort Hood soldiers, Army CID special agents, the Killeen Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are searching for Fernandes.
“From parking lots, to barracks and motorbike pools. We went out and talked to people in the community, various hotels, hospitals, etc., in an attempt to find him, “said Brautigam.
Anyone with information about their location should call the Fort Hood CID Office at (254) 287-2722, the Fort Hood MP office at (254) 287-4001 or your local police department.
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Fort Hood has recently been hit by a string of tragedies, as several soldiers disappeared and died in 2020 in homicides, suicides and accidents.
The most high-profile case was that of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, whose remains were found last month after she disappeared in April. When police tried to contact the suspect in that case, another Fort Hood soldier named Aaron David Robinson, he killed himself.
Another soldier, Pvt. Gregory Morales disappeared last year and his remains have not been found until June. U.S. officials said foul play is suspected.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
