PORTAGE, Mich. – A 17-year-old boy has been missing for four years after he was last seen with a Michigan man who has since been accused of murdering his parents, police said.
Bonifacio Miguel Pena, 17, was last seen on May 19, 2018, in Portage, Michigan.
Recommended Videos
The circumstances surrounding Pena’s disappearance are a bit of a mystery, but Michigan officials said he was last seen leaving a friend’s house in the area of Centre Avenue and Garden Lane. He got into a car with “unknown friends,” according to the state.
WOOD-TV reports Pena was last seen with a man named Nick Johnson. Nearly three years later, in February 2021, Johnson was charged with two counts of murder in connection with his parents’ deaths.
After the bodies of Johnson’s parents were found buried near their home, police did a helicopter sweep of the area in search of clues connected to Pena’s disappearance.
Portage police told WOOD-TV that foul play is suspected in Pena’s disappearance, and they believe Johnson might have been involved.
Pena has black hair and brown eyes. He was 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighed 180 pounds. Officials said he went by the nickname “Facio.”
This case remains unsolved after four years. Pena would now be 21 years old.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at 269-657-2006.
Click here to visit the “Help Us Find Bonifacio Pena” Facebook page.
Timeline
- May 19, 2018: Pena went missing after he was last seen with Johnson, according to police.
- Feb. 3, 2021: Gary and Laura Johnson, the parents of Nick Johnson, were fatally shot.
- Feb. 18, 2021: Nick Johnson was formally charged with murder in connection with his parents’ deaths.
- March 31: 2021: Police flew a helicopter over the area where Pena was last seen, looking for clues.
- May 19, 2022: Four years after his disappearance, Pena’s case remains unsolved.
Why is ClickOnDetroit covering so many cold cases?
We’re working to bring attention to as many unsolved and missing persons cases from around the state as we can. Our hope is that getting this important information out to the public will help generate tips for investigators and potentially lead to closure for the affected families. If you have a cold case you’d like us to look into, please let us know by using the form below.