Man, 23, Missing After His Dog Returns Home With Blood On Its Leash

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Police Department is asking the public to be on the lookout for a missing 23-year-old Los Angeles man.

Darwin Vela was last seen around 9 p.m. Tuesday in the 2900 block of South Redondo Boulevard in the West Adams neighborhood.

Officials said Vela took his Chocolate Lab Cocoa for a walk; the animal returned home but without him. Officials also said the dog's leash had human blood on it.

The missing man's family says he had never gone off before and they are concerned for his safety.

KCAL9's Suraya Fadel spoke to Vela's fiancee.

"I don't know where he is," Kelly McLaren said. "We are all worried. We don't know what to do."

She says Cocoa returned to Vela's home about an hour after the walk "trembling and whimpering."

"He was just standing there, his tail between his legs," McLaren said. "And it's very unusual for him to cry."

Vela has black hair and brown eyes. He stands 5 feet 6 inches and weighs around 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a dark green beanie, black shirt and blue jeans.

Investigators said bloodhounds lost Vela's scent around the corner from his home.

McLaren said her fiancee recently lost his job, but has no enemies and is very well-liked. She said she and Vela were scheduled to be key witnesses in a pre-trial hearing in a burglary case set to begin Thursday.

Anyone who has seen Vela is asked to contact the LAPD's Missing Persons Unit Detective Merrill at (213)996-1800