Suburban man missing in Mexico, family fears foul play

NORTHLAKE, Ill. (WLS) -- The family of a suburban man who has gone missing in Mexico has issued a desperate plea for help.

Hugo Ruiz, of Northlake, was there working on construction projects when he vanished last week.

Ruiz should be back in the Chicago area and his children were ready to go with him to the Wisconsin Dells Monday.

No one has spoken to him since Thursday night and he missed his flight from Mexico City back to Chicago on Friday.

In surveillance video from Thursday night, Ruiz is seen talking on his cell phone and walking off camera. Roughly five hours later his family says someone removed all his belongings from his hotel room.

They believe his credit cards were stolen and fear Ruiz could be in harm's way.

"It was his last day in Mexico on the job," said friend Sarah Decorah. "He knew he was coming home, he was excited to come, there's no reason that he would not come home."

"If anybody knows where he's at, if anybody has him, if they want something, just reach out to us already, just let us know that he's ok," said Brenda Ruiz, Hugo Ruiz's sister.

Ruiz's family was planning a Sunday party in Chicago. Instead, his fiance and parents are now down in Mexico searching for answers with few clues to work from.

"The last conversation I had with him was on Thursday, at about 7, and he called to let me know that he definitely wanted to go to the family gathering," Brenda Ruiz said.

Ruiz's family says his belongings were removed from his hotel room, his work phone is missing and after midnight Friday someone tried to use at least one of his credit cards.

Ruiz has been working in the Mexico City area since April with a company called Lend Lease, and would come back to Chicago every other weekend to see his family.

Hugo's family says the company has been working with its attorneys and was able to get more surveillance video from the hotel he was staying in.

Lend Lease has not responded to requests for an update on the search for him.