Police: Man still missing after ‘brutal attack’ leaves man dead in Gary

Police are searching for a man who disappeared from after a “brutal attack” over a week ago in northwest Indiana.

Carlos Verduczo, 42, remains missing after the attack on Jan. 31 that left one man dead and another wounded, according to Gary police.

Verduczo is described as a 6-foot, 260-280 pound Hispanic man with a bald head, brown eyes and gray beard, police said. He has two tattoos on his right shoulder and suffers from a skin pigment condition.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call Det. Alexander Jones at (219) 755-3852 or the crime tip line at (866) 274-6347.

Just before 9 p.m. Jan. 31, officers responded to a man waving his arms at cars on Cline Avenue near Chicago Road in Gary, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office. They found 26-year-old Richard Reyes suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Reyes told investigators he had taken two friends to another person’s home so they could collect a debt, according to the sheriff’s office. When he got there, Reyes was handcuffed, stabbed and thrown in the trunk of his own car.

He managed to get out of the trunk when the 2000 white Acura stopped, but the suspects drove off with his cellphone and wallet, according to the sheriff’s office. Reyes, who lives in southwest suburban Bridgeview, told investigators he didn’t know where he went or where the initial residence was because he was unfamiliar with the area. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Less than an hour later, 26-year-old Fernando Verduco was found dead with multiple stab wounds in the backseat of a vehicle in the 200 block of Hobart Street, authorities said. His stab wounds were similar to those suffered by Reyes, according to the sheriff’s office.

Carlos Verduczo has not been seen since the attack, authorities said. Gary police were expected to provide an update on the case Monday morning.