A 12-year-old boy named Raimiel Salazar Cobas was found on Sunday near Siboney Beach in Santiago de Cuba. This discovery comes two days after he vanished from his home in the José Martí district.
At the time of reporting, Raimiel was at the Siboney police station, located along the city's coast. His mother, Katerine Cobas Olivares, confirmed this to journalist Yosmany Mayeta, who had originally shared the alert on Facebook.
Raimiel went missing on April 17th around 2:00 pm when he left his residence in building S42, apartment 6, Micro 7. Taking advantage of his mother's absence—she was out obtaining medication post-surgery—and his uncle's sleep, Raimiel slipped away unnoticed.
The boy, approximately 1.20 meters tall and a student at the Special School José Manuel Isla, carried a backpack, potentially allowing him to change clothes and complicate identification efforts.
His family informed the authorities that Raimiel has a history of leaving home or school to visit his father's house.
The formal report to the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) was filed on Saturday, April 18th, at 2:00 pm at the Micro 9 unit in José Martí district, initiating an investigation.
However, it was the widespread sharing on social media that expedited his discovery.
"Thank you, Mayeta, and everyone who supported me," expressed Katerine Cobas Olivares in gratitude to the journalist.
This isn't the first time community mobilization has been crucial. A similar case occurred last November in Santiago de Cuba, where a mother criticized police inaction after her child went missing. Social media then played a key role in locating the child in Songo-La Maya, who was eventually returned to his family.
Understanding the Impact of Social Media in Missing Person Cases in Cuba
How was Raimiel Salazar Cobas found?
Raimiel Salazar Cobas was located near Siboney Beach in Santiago de Cuba, thanks to a social media alert shared by journalist Yosmany Mayeta.
What role did social media play in this case?
Social media was instrumental in speeding up the search and discovery of Raimiel, as public sharing of the alert reached a wider audience quickly.