Name: Melissa Ortiz-Rodriguez
Age: 31 years old
Last seen: April 19, 2013
Location: Collingdale, Pennsylvania
Status: Still Missing
Case Information
31-year-old Melissa Rodriguez was last seen in Collingdale, Pennsylvania on April 19, 2013. She was reported missing by her estranged husband after she left their home to visit friends in New Jersey.
Background
At the time of her disappearance, Melissa Rodriguez was married to Jose Luis Rodriguez with whom she has two daughters. The couple was separated at the time, and living in a house on Lafayette Avenue in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.
On February 25, 2013, police were called in response to a domestic disputes when Melissa attempted to leave her husband with their two daughters. She later filed for a protection from abuse order, but the complaint was withdrawn two weeks later.
According to her family, Melissa sought a divorce after learning that her husband had a second family in New Jersey. She herself was in a romantic relationship with another man and wanted to move on.
Disappearance
On April 19, 2013, Melissa Rodriguez was last seen by her husband at their home in the 400 block of Lafayette Avenue in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.
That morning, Melissa supposedly dropped her children off at school before taking a train for Newark, New Jersey, where she had plans to stay with friends for the weekend.
Melissa Rodriguez never made it to her friend’s house and hasn’t been heard from since.
On April 22, 2013, Rodriguez was due to start a new job, but never showed up. She also failed to pick up her children from school.
On April 23, 2013, her estranged husband filed a missing person’s report with the Collingdale Police Department when he couldn’t contact her.
Investigation
Jose Rodriguez initially told police that Melissa was preparing their daughters for school on the morning of April 19 when he left for work between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. However, cell phone records show that he was still in Collingdale between 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
Jose Rodriguez later said that he watched Melissa leave with the children before he went to work. He claimed that they spoke multiple times over the phone during the weekend, despite phone records not showing any calls between them.
Melissa left her vehicle at home as she planned to use public transportation for her weekend trip. She didn’t have a credit card at the time, and her cell phone has been turned off since April 19.
On April 21, 2013, a witness reported seeing Jose Rodriguez sign out two mop-heads and a one-gallon container of interior cleaner from the Amtrak facility where he was employed in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He was driving his pickup truck with an unidentified passenger.
Jose Rodriguez was never named a suspect in Melissa Rodriguez’s disappearance. He subsequently stopped cooperating with the investigation and moved with his two daughters to New Jersey to live with his girlfriend and infant son.
In 2022, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to mail fraud for stealing more than $76,000 in chain saws from Amtrak, where he worked as a senior engineer, and selling them online. He was sentenced to eighteen months in federal prison.
Whereabouts
Foul play is suspected in Melissa Rodriguez’s disappearance. The circumstances of Melissa Rodriguez’s disappearance remain unclear and her case is currently classified as missing. Her case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
Hispanic/Latino female. Melissa has brown hair, brown eyes, stands 5’2 – 5’5 tall, and weighs 130 – 150 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Melissa wears eyeglasses.
Clothing and accessories:
Melissa was last seen wearing a yellow flowered dress or gray pajama pants and a t-shirt, according to her husband.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Melissa Ortiz-Rodriguez please contact the Collingdale Police Department at (610) 586-0502, or the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department at (610) 891-4700.
Resources & Further Information
Melissa Rodriguez #MP20481 – National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
News & Media Links
Documents paint troubled picture for missing woman – Delco Times 05/2013
Vigil tonight for Collingdale woman missing 10 years – Delco Times 04/2023
Crews Search For Body In Home Of Delco Woman Who Went Missing In 2013 – CBS News 12/2016
A Delaware County mother vanished 10 years ago. Her loved ones are still searching for answers – Philadelphia Inquirer 05/2023
Videos & Flyers
Don’t think the police tried real hard to prove the husband did it.
I tend to agree with Judy ‘ s comment .
If the vehicle is still at the house , was it ever searched for clues , and who is presently using it ? .
Why would the mother not make any contact with her eldest on attaining her majority ? .
What type of work was she going to do , was it on contract , shift or casual ? .
How did she manage to find the job ? .
How often did the daughters see the girlfriend of the father , and the partner of the mother ? .
The day she disappeared did she say anything out of the ordinary or behave any differently than normal ? .
What can the daughters , given their age ‘s at the time recall what happened or said ? .