Candlelit vigil held in Iowa City for missing Muscatine man
The vigil was for Cristian Martinez, a 20-year-old man from Muscatine who went missing after last being spotted early Saturday morning.
Supporters light candles during a vigil for Cristian Martinez at the Pedestrian Mall in downtown Iowa City on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Martinez went missing in Iowa City on Saturday, April 15.
April 18, 2023
A candlelit vigil was held Tuesday evening in the Pedestrian Mall for Cristian Martinez, a 20-year-old man who went missing early Saturday morning.
Martinez is from Muscatine, Iowa, and was last seen in the alley behind the bar Bardot in Iowa City. Over 100 community members attended the vigil, including Martinez’s family.
During the vigil, West Liberty, Iowa, priest Father Guillermo Treviño, Jr., led a 10-minute prayer calling for Martinez to be safe and to be found as soon as possible. The prayer was led in English and Spanish, with many in attendance joining the prayer.
RELATED: Iowa City police searching for missing 20-year-old
Cristian Martinez’s brother Jerry Martinez called his brother a positive, hardworking individual who is always ready to help others. Jerry Martinez said he last saw his brother Friday after getting off work, and Cristian Martinez said he would be heading to Iowa City.
The Iowa City Police Department is searching for Cristian Martinez around the city. In an update released Tuesday, the police stated the department had been searching local bodies of water including rivers, obtaining surveillance footage of the area, and checking Cristian Martinez’s phone and bank activity.
While the police search for Cristian Martinez, Jerry Martinez said the community can also help.
“Join the search parties, share all the flyers, share all the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter posts, anything like that,” Jerry Martinez. “That’s what we’re going to do right now. That’s all we can do.”
