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Search continues for East Boston woman missing for nine days

Search continues for East Boston woman missing for nine days

Boston police have released photos of Elba Portillo, who has been missing since December 13.Boston Police Department

Police and the family of an East Boston woman missing for more than a week are urging the public to help in the search to bring her home.

Elba Portillo, 61, was last seen Dec. 13 leaving for work around 9:30 a.m., wearing a black jacket, purple sweatpants, black Sketchers shoes and a backpack. brown hand slung over the shoulder. Portillo is described in a missing person alert issued by the Boston Police Department, 5 feet 3 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes.

She did not show up at her workplace on Meridian Street on Friday the 13th, police said.

This is not the first time Portillo has gone missing, police said, and she was previously found sitting at the water’s edge in East Boston.

Portillo’s eldest daughter, Natalie Umana, created a Facebook group in which users can post information about his mother’s whereabouts. In a five minute video published in English and Spanish, Umana tearfully asked for help finding Portillo, who suffers from insomnia and dementia.

Umana said her mother did not have her ID or passport with her, nor her debit or credit cards. She believes Portillo was carrying about $300 in cash. She said her mother had an old Android cell phone that had been turned off since she went missing.

Umana said her mother previously showed signs of severe insomnia, loss of appetite and disorientation, and had difficulty maintaining a conversation.

“I could see there was something deeply wrong with her,” she said through tears. “I am making this video to implore the people of Boston to help my family find my mother.”

Umana said Portillo was seen Thursday at La Cuchara restaurant on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester. Restaurant employees said Portillo preached to them, which Umana said fits the character of her mother, a lifelong Christian.

Although the family received several reports of people spotting Portillo, Umana said they were unable to keep her in one place long enough for them or police to get there. She said it was common for Portillo to have the hood of his jacket over his head, making it difficult for people to decipher his features.

Umana asked anyone who sees Portillo to stop or follow her discreetly while immediately calling the family at 857-334-0522 or 857-207-9858, or Boston Police detectives at 617-343-4234 .

“The days are getting colder, the holidays are approaching and I miss my mother terribly,” Umana said at the end of the video, adding that all she wanted to do was hug her mother. “Please help me get there.” … Please.”


Alexa Coultoff can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her @alexacoultoff.