A Cuban mother residing in South Florida has publicly requested help to find her teenage son, who disappeared nearly two months ago in the city of Cape Coral, in Lee County.
This is about Adriano Benítez Martí, a 17-year-old teenager who was last seen on October 28, when he was heading home after leaving school.
The mother, visibly exhausted and with a face marked by uncertainty, shared her testimony in a video posted by journalist Mario Pentón.
"I am making this video to ask for help, as my underage son, 17-year-old Adriano Benítez Martí, has been missing since October 28 of this year, 2025," the woman said at the beginning of the recording.
“Never returned again.”
She recounted that she took her son to school that morning, as she usually did every day.
In cases where his work prevented him from picking it up, he would pay for an Uber so he could get back home.
That seemingly normal routine marked the last direct contact he had with his son.
“The day he disappeared, he contacted me and said: ‘I’m heading home, I already called the Uber,’ and he never returned,” he recalled.
From that moment on, an agonizing search began, marked by bureaucracy and the silence of the local authorities.
The mother claims that she filed a missing persons report in the city of Cape Coral and that a detective has been assigned to the case.
“He came to my house, took samples from my son's toothbrush and comb, asked me several questions, and took photos of my son,” she detailed.
However, seeing that time was passing without any progress, he decided to contact the AMBER Alert system on his own.
“I have gone to the police station repeatedly and have not received any answers. I went to the sheriff's office in the city, and I still have not received any answers. They called some of his friends, and no one knows about my son,” she lamented.
"I don't have a single day where I can sleep peacefully."
In the midst of her pain, the woman tried to offer an intimate portrait of her son, hoping that those who see it will recognize the educated and affectionate young man he was.
"He is a boy raised with love. I am a single mother. I have raised him with love, just like my other children. He is a calm boy, with excellent grades in school, an obedient child, a homebody, who would ask my permission to go anywhere... and suddenly, I don't know, my son has disappeared."
The uncertainty consumes her: “I don't necessarily think the worst, but I feel that my son is not well. I haven't had a day when I can sleep peacefully.”
Questions about Uber
One of the aspects that has generated the most commentary on social media is the use of Uber by the teenager.
The mother mentioned that Adriano used that app when she was unable to pick him up, which has raised concerns about security protocols in these situations.
A user questioned: "How is it that they don't collect Uber data on every trip if it was just a child alone?"
Others pointed out that there is a feature in the app called Uber Teens, specially designed for minors, where the family member can track the route in real time and receive the driver's information.
Some also pointed out that the Uber driver "is the first one they need to look for."
This aspect has fueled the collective demand for a more thorough investigation and greater cooperation from the transportation platform.
Between Judgment and Empathy: Public Reactions
The release of the video generated a wave of comments.
Some users expressed shock, support, and solidarity. Others, however, questioned the mother's demeanor, suggesting that she seemed "too calm."
"I wouldn't have that calm; I would be going crazy. When my kids spend more time than they should, I can't bear the unease," wrote a commentator.
Another added, “My son is 32 years old, and if he doesn’t check in every day, I would feel dead inside. That mother seems very calm; I would be tearing my hair out, losing my teeth, and my skin would be crawling.”
In light of these judgments, many voices were raised in defense of women.
"Everyone expresses their pain in different ways and according to their character"; "We have become so accustomed to drama and sensationalism that we do not value equanimity"; "Sometimes, those who appear calm on the outside are the ones who suffer the most on the inside," were some of the comments.
Someone summed up the collective sentiment with a prayer: “That mother is trying to confront the nightmare that all parents fear. She doesn’t have time for tears; it’s time to act with calm and courage. In her private moments, she cries like any mother. She needs the strength of God and the community to search for her son, who will forever be her baby.”
As of the closure of this note, there are no additional details about the case.
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