A FILIPINO American family is searching for their loved one who reportedly went missing on Saturday, September 14 during a layover at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).
Pauline “Paula” Del Mundo, a 59-year-old transgender woman, was last heard that Saturday while transferring airlines en route to Cozumel, Mexico from Tampa, Florida. She never took her connecting flight on American Airlines, and reportedly expressed hesitance to taking the flight.
Now the family is asking the public for help in locating their loved one.
“It was such a nightmare for our entire family because she [is] the kind of person who is bubbly and loves her trips documented,” Yolanda Del Mundo, Paula’s older sister, said in an email sent to the Asian Journal. “Unfortunately we never heard from her since then.”
The older sister noted that Del Mundo “was half-hearted to leave” according to her last text messages. The family is also concerned for Del Mundo’s mental health since “she was on the verge of desperation and we are so worried.”
Yolanda Del Mundo then flew to Dallas from New York City on Friday, September 20 to look for Del Mundo with the help of local law enforcement. According to Yolanda Del Mundo, DFW police under the Department of Public Safety is currently investigating the case and working with law enforcement in Tampa, Florida where Del Mundo lives.
Del Mundo is a naturalized Filipina American federal employee with a medium build and height of 5’6”. She has long brown hair and brown eyes, and may also be using the name Paulino. She speaks English.
Anyone who may have information about her whereabouts are urged to contact the DFW’s Department of Public Safety at (972) 973-3434, Dallas police at (214) 671-4268 or the Philippine Consulate in Houston at (346) 256-4522.
