Teresa Ariño: the unresolved disappearance in Soria

They told him, inside the ambulance, that he could not go with her. He cried and begged the paramedics: please, do you see how this is? Miguel Perea would never forget. We’re told he was told, in no uncertain terms, that he wouldn’t be allowed entry to the hospital. The door closed. Tere cried out, a pleading whisper, don’t let him go, not yet. She never saw him again.

Maria Teresa Arino, age 58, vanished after reaching the hospital on August 28. Her husband, forced to take a taxi, could not locate her upon arrival. A nurse’s half-smile asked him what happened, and he said, your wife ran away. She could hardly believe it and wondered aloud why medical staff hadn’t tried to stop it. She searched the surroundings, but months later she remained missing. Teresa, her nickname Tere, was not found that day.

Teresa Ariño disappeared on August 28, 2022. The status remained open as investigators pursued every lead.

A shepherd later claimed to have seen Teresa the following day, wandering in the countryside about 18 kilometers from the hospital. Miguel spoke of his pain and distraction, noting that despite long efforts and the open case portal operated by Prensa Ibérica, the search persisted. Teresa’s health had deteriorated, and her husband started a relentless journey through emergency rooms and medical consultations as the disappearance unfolded.

five days ago

Teresa had once enjoyed a calm, orderly life at home. She loved reading, often finishing a book in a single sitting, and her garden herbs were cherished companions. The routine began to unravel on a Tuesday, five days before she vanished.

Her husband observed increasing nervousness. The couple had recently moved from their rented flat, with rising costs in Soria pushing them to seek new accommodations. They left behind beloved pets that their life circumstances forced them to surrender to an NGO, a heartbreak that weighed on them both. They hoped to move on September 2, but the mood grew heavier instead.

Teresa’s anxiety intensified. Miguel recalls her agitation, the sense that the world was closing in. The police were brought into the concerns about dirty floors, a fear he says was unfounded, yet it echoed through their days as they navigated moving, finances, and the stress of an ongoing relocation.

On Tuesday Miguel urged Teresa to seek medical help, suggesting a visit to the doctor where she might receive relief. The first appointment that week brought questions from the physician, and Teresa admitted she was overwhelmed by the imminent move. Miguel stepped in, trying to steady her as the panic grew.

The doctor advised a follow-up with the family doctor the next day because there were no immediate medications to ease her symptoms. They returned home after the consultation, and Miguel tried to help keep Teresa calm until the next visit.

Three pills: improved

On Wednesday they returned, and Teresa was prescribed three pills to be taken daily. A brief period of quiet followed on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, but trouble resurfaced on Saturday with renewed fears: the police were coming, the sense of danger returning.

Moving boxes unsettled Teresa, even though they were arranged, as she feared the floor would be deemed dirty and a consequence would follow. The couple’s calls to family became more anxious. Her mother spoke with Teresa, but the conversations grew short. They tried to get her dressed and into the emergency room as Miguel hurried toward Santa Bárbara Hospital.

What’s the name, which station?

The arrival time stretched into the night; by seven they were admitted and by almost twelve their names were still not resolved. In triage, Teresa trembled and could not stop shaking. The doctors pressed for information, and Miguel answered as best he could while Teresa looked to him for cues.

The doctor asked Teresa’s name. After a pause, she whispered it softly. Then a second question came, and another, about the year they were living in. The moment stretched as Teresa and Miguel exchanged looks. The answer finally came in a quiet confession: 2020. Another question, a location query, and a push toward wintertime—August drifting into the early hours of August 28. Teresa lowered her gaze and remained silent as the medical staff evaluated her conditions.

The emergency visit yielded some tests; the results seemed reassuring, yet Miguel could not shake the feeling that a discharge would be reckless given Teresa’s fragile memory. They returned home, and at 9:05 a.m. Miguel woke to Teresa’s crisis once more. She pleaded through tears and fear, Please don’t leave me. An ambulance was called, but she was not allowed to accompany her husband, and when he finally returned, she was gone.

“We’re not keeping anyone here”

After stepping out of the taxi, a nurse approached with a half-smile and a troubling line: his wife had moved away from the premises. The couple’s shock was palpable. “Could you stand here?” Miguel asked, but the response echoed the hospital’s policy: there was no one kept who did not wish to stay. That moment would stand as the last time he saw Teresa.

One of the many posters bearing Teresa Ariño’s image appeared across the town and surrounding counties. A shepherd later corroborated seeing Teresa in a field the day after she disappeared, with Miguel describing the scene as hurtful, agitated, and confusing.

He was seen 18 kilometers from the hospital

Reports described a sighting in Chavaler, a town about 18 kilometers from the hospital in Soria. The witness claimed Teresa appeared to be hurt and moving cautiously, asking for assistance. Miguel recalled the scene as a moment of fear and uncertainty, insisting Teresa looked unwell and tightly guarded.

Researchers and family members agree the area is busy with hikers, mushroom pickers, and others; still, no clear trace emerged. Drones, dogs, and divers were deployed near a nearby river, yet no signs appeared. People in nearby towns and the countryside were asked about Teresa’s belongings, clues, or clothing, but nothing definitive surfaced.

Miguel continued to search: traveling through Logroño and León, asking residents about missing garments that might be in plain sight, examining orchards for any sign of her, and visiting places she might have visited before.

Teresa’s photo appeared on more posters across the region. Her family held on to the hope that she would return, while Miguel kept the vigil alive, waiting for news that would bring Teresa home. He shared stories of Teresa’s life, her quiet love of history, and her passion for plants and reading, hoping for a moment when life would return to its gentle rhythm.

Look, they say. Keep hope alive. Miguel clings to it, imagining a car stopping, a familiar face, a different ending to a story that continues until Teresa reappears. He writes, he reads, he tends to his plants, and he believes she will come back to the pages of their shared life. The world keeps moving, but their days revolve around the unanswered questions and the memory of Teresa’s calm, gentle presence.