Ralph Santos was born with a hole in his heart. His death has
left a hole in the hearts of family and friends.
Ralph Santos was born with a hole in his heart. His death has left a hole in the hearts of family and friends.
With the discovery of a body that is most likely that of Ralph Santos, 73, of Hollister, in farmland along Buena Vista Road Thursday morning, an agonizing and often frustrating 10 days of questions with no answers have finally come to an end.
“We used to tell him that God filled it with love because he had so much love for everyone,” said daughter Geri Gonzalez Thursday at the Santos’ home on Talbot Court after being notified by police that the body was most likely that of her father.
Santos, a retired pastor, was reported missing June 10 after failing to pick up his granddaughter from school. He was last seen at about 11 p.m. that night in the company of an unidentified Hispanic male and a heavyset blonde woman in a red Kia that reportedly belonged to him.
However, since his disappearance, the family had been frustrated and angry with police, claiming law enforcement officials were not working hard enough to locate Santos and not pursuing information regarding the incident.
“Unbelievable,” Ralph Santos Jr. shouted at officers when he heard the news that the body found was probably his father’s. “I cannot believe this. “We told you he wasn’t a missing person, that he was abducted.
“The police department gave us no support. They didn’t think we were credible. They said we were exaggerating and we were crazy and disorganized.”
Hollister Police Chief Larry Todd said that despite concerns and comments from the family, the department pursued the disappearance.
“We have always pursued this case very aggressively,” Todd said. “This individual has been reported as a high-risk missing (person) partially because it was totally out of character for him to not return home, not go to a graduation for family members and not to participate in the church that he belongs to.”
Since Santos’ disappearance, family and friends worked together to coordinate search efforts and establish a command center, calling phone companies and banks to see if activity had taken place on their father’s accounts. They even sought the help of a private investigator.
Family members said anytime information or a tip was received, they would contact the police, but claimed the follow-up would come days later.
“I called last Saturday and left a message there was a man that looked like my father, and yesterday is when they followed-up on it,” said Lorie Santos Thursday. “My father didn’t deserve this.”
Before the discovery of the body Thursday, police had established a task force that included the HPD, county sheriff’s department and the Gilroy Police Department. Also, police had contacted the FBI Wednesday as part of the plan to put together a multi-jurisdictional task force. FBI agents arrived in Hollister at about 8:30 a.m., just two hours before the body was discovered.
However, none of efforts could ease the pain from knowing the man they called “Pops” would not be coming home.
Shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday, officials with the HPD waited outside the home of Santos to deliver the news.
Ron Santos said his father taught the family to trust in God and that family is the center of focus.
“We even pray together,” he said.
Within an hour, more than 20 family members arrived, and one great-grandchild asked, “Why is everybody crying?”
Santos Jr. held the child as he explained, “Pops is dead and we will never see him anymore.”
