A 78-year-old Dallas man missing for over two weeks was found dead Saturday in an Arkansas Walmart parking lot.
Hector Balderas had vanished on December 13 while driving home from delivery runs.
The discovery ends a multi-state search that mobilized Texas EquuSearch volunteers and concerned family members worried about Balderas’s cardiac condition.
Someone who recognized Balderas’s distinctive yellow Ford Transit van from news reports alerted Springdale police Saturday. Officers found the elderly man’s body inside the 2018 delivery vehicle bearing Tamaulipas, Mexico, license plates.
Springdale authorities detected no obvious signs of foul play. The official cause of death remains under investigation.
Balderas disappeared while returning to Dallas after completing deliveries in Arkansas and Oklahoma. His family grew alarmed when the grandfather, who had a cardiac condition, failed to arrive home as expected.
Texas EquuSearch, which coordinated social media alerts about the missing man, confirmed the tragic outcome.
“It is with great sadness that Hector Balderas was located deceased in Arkansas. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Balderas during this tragic time. Thank you to everyone who shared and kept a lookout for Hector and his vehicle,” the organization posted.
The case highlights how citizen awareness can provide crucial breaks in missing persons investigations. A sharp-eyed individual’s recognition of the yellow van from news coverage ultimately led authorities to Balderas.
