Sgt. Elder Fernandes, of the U.S. Army 1st Cavalary Division, was the victim of alleged abusive sexual contact before he disappeared from Fort Hood earlier this week.
Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a 1st Cavalry public affairs officer, said that the Army Criminal Investigation Command opened an investigation into the reported misconduct a couple of months ago. The soldier transferred units because of reported sexual misconduct.
Fernandes is 5 foot 5 inches and weighs 133 pounds. He was last seen on Monday at a residence in Killeen, Texas, wearing a black Army physical training shirt and shorts with black, orange and yellow shows.
ANOTHER SOLDIER MISSING FROM FORT HOOD
The information gathered so far indicates that Fernandes may have left the base on his own, though his car was found in his unit’s parking lot, according to the Criminal Investigation Command.
“We are very concerned about the welfare of this Soldier and first and foremost we want to ensure he is okay,” Christopher Grey, spokesman for CID, said in a statement. “If someone out there has any information, regardless of how trivial you may think it is, we are asking you to contact us immediately.”
Fort Hood soldiers, Army CID special agents, the Killeen Police Department and other law enforcement agencies are looking for Fernandes.
“From parking lots, to barracks and motor pools. We’ve gone out and talked to folks in the community, various hotels, hospitals, etc., in an attempt to find him,” Brautigam said.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts, should call the Fort Hood CID Office at (254) 287-2722, the Fort Hood MP desk at (254) 287-4001 or your local police department.
A LOOK AT COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS INSIDE U.S. ARMY 1ST CALVARY DIVISION
Fort Hood has been hit by a string of tragedies recently, as several soldiers have disappeared and died in homicides, suicides and accidents in 2020.
The most high-profile case was that of Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, whose remains were found last month after she disappeared in April. When police officers tried to make contact with 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 weren’t found until June. U.S. officials said foul play is suspected.
