The young man named David Hernando Cortes vanished from his home one November night. His mother, Carmen, tried to explain the situation to a police officer. She said there had been arguments at home about ordinary chores like cleaning and dishes, but nothing outside normal behavior. The family reported the disappearance in Madrid on the date noted in the report. David, then twenty-seven years old, had not been seen for five years, and his absence weighed heavily on those who loved him.
Carmen described a home that felt abandoned and chaotic. Candles lit across rooms, mirrors turned toward walls, and piles of clothes created a sense of disorder that words barely captured. She asked officers to come and assess the situation in the Villaverde Bajo area of Madrid. The officers noted the scene but explained that many people go missing, and sometimes a child reaches adulthood without contact, complicating investigations.
a knife
The mother recounted that on the night before the disappearance, her son had been a normal person who could be unpredictable at times. He seemed to be under stress, and his behavior became unsettling. He had no history of drugs, and Carmen believed the changes were temporary, perhaps tied to tension within the family. David had a tendency to react strongly when confronted and spoke of things she could not fully understand. He mentioned someone from his family who had passed away long ago and spoke of visions that unsettled him.
In the hours that followed, Carmen tried to keep things calm. She offered him a drink and suggested a trip to the emergency room, but David refused. His demeanor was calm on the surface, yet something inside seemed unsettled. That night remained a blur, and Carmen, exhausted, returned to her duties at work after a brief pause with him.
Batteries and batteries
When she returned home in the afternoon, the house appeared altered. David had moved through the space, placing candles in every room and leaving chairs overturned. Drawers stood open, tools sat with their batteries removed, and clothes lay piled in disorder. Mirrors faced the walls, and the atmosphere felt charged with something unseen. David’s room, once filled with photographs and posters, was now emptied, with belongings packed into bags and left in the living room.
Later that afternoon, children arrived and asked about David. Carmen heard David’s voice next, claiming he had done the cleaning and would take care of the entire floor. His tone sounded shaken, and Carmen reached out to her sister, David’s aunt, for support. The atmosphere turned tense as the family tried to understand what was happening; the young man had told his aunt that he would come back, but he never did.
a burned photo
As minutes stretched into hours, the search for David intensified. He had left with very little money and his papers. The family went to the police that very night to file a report, hoping for a lead that would bring him home. He later described a surreal scene in which a lamp illuminated a family photo and a sense of disturbance lingered. The events suggested either a mental health crisis or a deeper mystery that could not be easily explained. David is described as twenty-six years old in official records, with a slight build and distinctive tattoos—one reading Made in Madriz on his leg and another with the artist tag Takeo on his arm. He was known in the street art community by the name LORK, a moniker that friends used when discussing him.
The authorities were called repeatedly, but there was no immediate breakthrough. The family pressed for action, hoping that someone would recognize or contact them about David’s whereabouts. Carmen recalled feeling frustrated by the lack of progress and the sense that the investigation was unfolding at a slow pace. She wished the police would actively search the house and preserve evidence rather than leaving things as they were. The family’s insistence reflected a belief that the home itself might hold clues to the disappearance.
Despite the concerns, investigators visited the Villaverde district, yet no definitive answers emerged. There was a sense of daily life continuing around the case as the family waited for any sign of David. The mother recalled telling doctors that the situation bore the marks of a psychotic episode, a possibility she believed could explain some of the unusual behavior. Yet in the end, the questions persisted: where had David gone, and what had happened to him that night?
family investigation
The search extended beyond the home to sites such as shelters, hospitals, and other places where a person might be found. The family kept in touch with friends and acquaintances, and the investigators drew up a map of potential locations and scenarios. The goal was to reconstruct the last known movements and to determine whether David had suffered an accident or wandered into danger. It was a relentless process, with no clear resolution in sight.
They said he could be found in a gazebo in Fuenlabrada, a path Carmen remembered clearly.
A colleague mentioned a possible sighting in a run-down area of Fuenlabrada, and the family followed up without hesitation. The search in that area turned up nothing but a reminder of how large the city is and how many abandoned spaces exist. The family looked everywhere, noting the difficulty of locating a single individual amid a very crowded urban landscape.
In the end, the family faced the possibility that David had chosen to disappear or that his absence was the result of something they could not control or reverse. Carmen spoke of losing faith yet holding on to hope, asking for any information that could help him return safely. The search, she insisted, was not just about finding a missing person but about restoring a sense of safety and certainty to a family that deserved closure.
David’s story continues to be shared by friends from his hometown and from Madrid areas he knew, including Azuqueca in Guadalajara and communities around Fuenlabrada. The hope remains that one day he will reappear, perhaps with stories of Barcelona or the United States to tell. Those who know him remember his passion for graffiti and the energy he brought to the streets, even as they acknowledge the pain his absence caused. The family remains ready to welcome him back and to explain the past as honestly as possible, seeking peace and reconciliation for everyone involved.
At the heart of the case lies a simple request: if anyone has information, please come forward. The family emphasizes that David deserves a chance to explain his life, his choices, and his future. The hope is that a resolution might bring relief and a sense of safety to loved ones, a chance to put the memories behind them and move forward with dignity. The story remains a warning about the fragility of families and the importance of timely, compassionate responses in missing persons cases. [Citation: Official records and family statements]