'I'm hopeful that maybe she'll walk in.' Bronx woman hopes for return 2 years after mom's disappearance
According to police, Delacruz was last seen leaving her home at 1616 Grand Ave. around 11 p.m.
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Bronx native Elena Delacruz, 62, has been reported missing for two years, but her family still hasn't given up hope that she'll return. News 12 spoke with Delacruz's daughter about her mother's disappearance and efforts to bring her home.
The last time Taina Roper spoke with her mother Elena was in July 2021, days before her mother was expected to visit her in Virginia. Roper says the night before she disappeared, she missed a call from her mom and never heard back.
Roper says her mom never made a move without letting someone know, like leaving notes about going to the store.
My mom would call you even if she was just frying a potato," Roper said.
According to police, Delacruz was last seen leaving her home at 1616 Grand Ave. around 11 p.m. Roper says the 62-year-old was suffering from stage three cancer and believes she was walking to a bodega that night.
"It was common for her to sleep throughout the day and get up around 9 p.m. to eat something," Roper said.
She adds she's done everything to locate her mom - from hanging flyers to searching hospitals and searched morgues. Without a body to claim, Roper and her family remain hopeful.
"I'm hopeful that maybe she'll walk in. I'm hopeful that maybe she's in a hospital with dementia and she just doesn't know who she is or where she is and that she continues to live a beautiful life whether we're in it or not," Roper says.
Delacruz has been described as being about 5 feet, 3 inches and 110 pounds.
