Fayetteville woman fears son's disappearance won't be solved after key person killed

Almost five months after her son disappeared in Fayetteville, Mayra Fuentes said Thursday that she fears investigators are no closer to solving the case than they were in March.

Posted 9:37 p.m. Jul 19, 2018 — Updated 9:37 p.m. Jul 19, 2018

Gilbert Baez

, WRAL reporter

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Almost five months after her son disappeared in Fayetteville, Mayra Fuentes said Thursday that she fears investigators are no closer to solving the case than they were in March.

Charles Anthony Fuentes, 31, was last seen leaving Izzy’s Sports Bar, at 150 Andrews Road, in the early morning hours of March 3. Grainy security video from outside the bar shows a man believed to be Fuentes leaving with two men in a dark colored 2007 Lexus with license plate PCE-2228.

Police considered the other two men, identified as Mark Allen Verhasselt, 42, and Ryan Dewain Chavis, 23, as persons of interest in the case. But Verhasselt was shot to death last week in the parking lot of an apartment complex In Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Investigators said they don't believe Charles Fuentes' disappearance and Verhasselt's death are connected. A Fort Bragg soldier has been charged with killing Verhasselt.

"He's dead, so what am I getting from that?" Mayra Fuentes said. "I will never find out what happened to my son."

Fayetteville police say Verhasselt was known to be a violent man and may have intimidated others from coming forward with critical information in the case.

Investigators said they think his death could spark new life into the investigation of Charles Fuentes' disappearance.

"What I've gotten so far from my investigators is that phone calls are coming in now and information is coming in," said Maj. Robert Ramirez of the Fayetteville Police Department.

Police also are still looking for Chavis.

But Mayra Fuentes said she sees little action in her son's case.

"There's no closure," she said. "This is 137 days that my son is missing. That's almost five months and a half. What am I getting?"

Fuentes is described as a Hispanic male who stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 160 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing jeans, a brown coat and headphones.

People with information on whereabouts of Charles Fuentes are asked to call Detective D. Johnson with the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-224-3257 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.

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