Family to hold a Shining Hope Vigil

URBANA, Ill. - Feb. 15, 2015 - PRLog -- LostNMissing Inc, a nonprofit organization, is assisting the family of missing Cristian Zamora. The group, along with his family, will be holding a public event to bring awareness of Cristian’s missing status. Those in the community who wish to volunteer are asked to come to the event and posters will be given so that they may help distribute in surrounding communities.

Cynthia Caron, president-founder of LostNMissing, explains “The majority of those missing invariably are located due to the recognition of the public who bring tips to police. It is very important to reach all citizens through as many means as possible and getting posters to surrounding communities could lead to someone having that needed information to finding Cristian.”  Caron further adds, “We focus with the hope that he may have suffered some kind of emotional distress and could be wandering place to place, as the alternative would not be good.” “All possibilities need to be explored, even when we know the missing loved one would never leave of their own volition.”

The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 28th at 9:00 am at the Crystal Lake Park, 206 West Park Street, in Urbana. The public is asked to bring their own lawn chairs and to dress warm. Refreshments will be provided and the media is encouraged to attend. A prayer and balloon release will also be held.

Zamora, who graduated from the University in May 2014, was last seen on surveillance footage on, December 31, 2014, in the 500 block of West University Avenue, north of the Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Dunkin’ Donuts, around 8:05 p.m.. Law enforcement has conducted numerous searches in surrounding areas, including Crystal Lake Park, Busey Woods, the County Fairgrounds and a saline branch drainage ditch, with no signs of Zamora.

Zamora’s mother, Sandra Carrion, said her son had plans for his life after graduation. “He planned to write a book and was working with one of his former economics professors at the University” Carrion said. Family and friends say that Zamora would never up and leave and go missing of his own choice and they live with the fear if something may have happened to him. “He just disappeared,” Carrion said. “He just said he was going to get something to eat, he started walking, and was supposed to get food and never  made it, nor came back. (His friends) were expecting him back, and he never showed up.”

Carrion recently wrote on Zamora’s Facebook page, “Missing Cristian Zamora”, (https://www.facebook.com/missingcristianzamora) “Praying for my son every day, every night, every minute of the day, hoping to see him soon. Hoping to get that phone call telling me that they found Cristian somewhere. Only God knows what goes thru my mind all day long ,everyday. God protect him wherever he is.”  The family is offering a $5,000 reward for Zamora’s safe return, or for any valid tips that lead police to his location.

If anyone has information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to please contact the Champaign Police Department (https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignPD) at 217-351-4545 or Crimestoppers at 217-373-8477. You may request to remain anonymous.