An abandoned white sports utility vehicle (SUV) reported to be a getaway vehicle of the persons of interest in the disappearance of beauty pageant bet Geneva Lopez and her Israeli boyfriend was discovered by authorities on Sunday.
Reports said the SUV was abandoned beside a house in Sitio Barbon at Barangay Tipac in Tarlac City.
The national police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) recovered the vehicle after receiving a tip from an informant.
The white SUV is reportedly the third vehicle in which Geneva and Yitshak Cohen were seen with the middleman going to Capas, Tarlac to see the property they wanted to buy at Barangay Armenia in Tarlac City.
The vehicle was turned over to the police’s Highway Patrol Group. It was said to be registered to a male individual from Bacoor City, Cavite.
Last June 22, the couple’s gray Nissan Terra SUV was found burning along the Capas-San Jose Road in Cristo Rey village. While it contained belongings, it bore no sign of the occupants.
Authorities said the Nissan Terra was pawned to them. The owner was a male individual from Bulacan.
The police found a partially burned automated teller machine (ATM) card belonging to Geneva, her 1×1 photo and partially burned real estate documents with her name.
A burned “cellphone or tablet” was also retrieved from the gray SUV.
The family of Yitshak has offered a reward money of P250,000 to those who have “any valid information” leading to the couple’s finding.
Meanwhile, the Tarlac Police Provincial Office has already formed a committee on missing persons to expedite the investigation and determine the connection between the vehicles found and the case.
Geneva is representing Sto. Tomas, Pampanga at the Mutya ng Pilipinas Pampanga 2024.
She and her boyfriend were reported missing since June 22, but reports said they have been unreachable through social media and cellphones since June 21.
The couple met the middleman in their property transaction on June 21 for an ocular inspection. They parted ways on board their respective vehicles.
Reports said the middleman is a former police officer assigned in Angeles City. He is also a businessman and a property agent.
RELATED: ‘Masamang kutob’: Model claims meeting Geneva Lopez’s Israeli boyfriend before
Geneva’s disappearance comes months after another beauty pageant candidate, Miss Grand Philippines 2024 bet Catherine Camilon, disappeared.
Catherine was reported missing since October 2023.
ALSO READ: Catherine Camilon stories
Last May, charges of kidnapping and serious illegal detention against former police major Allan de Castro and his driver-bodyguard Jeffrey Magpantay were dismissed due to lack of evidence.