The 21-year-old traveled with his new boss across the state to clean after a hurricane tearup in Florida. However, Ernesto Jacob Mederos cut communication with his family, which ended in tragic news when his body was found unresponsive.
According to Ernesto Jacob Mederos’ mother, Crystal Diana Gonzalez, he showed up at his home on November 8, 2024, for the last time before hitting the road with his boss, Phillip Garner. Mederos had been working for a week under Garner’s command.
Garner assured Gonzalez that her son was in safe hands and claimed they would return home within two weeks. They left two days later, and Mederos communicated with his family for hours.
Moreover, the victim mentioned that they had reached Sarasota but soon started complaining about Garner’s behavior at work. He called his mother frantically and asked her to send assistance.
As the case progressed, Mederos detailed that his boss was after his family and jumped out of his Blue Dodge Avenger to escape him. The victim claimed that Garner made him do things unwillingly, making Mederos regretful.
Crystal informed the police department and demanded an emergency investigation. However, Garner refused such claims during interrogation and maintained a story that he was in Orlando.
Further, anonymous responders contacted Mederos’ family and provided information that they had spotted the victim and Garner in Sarasota. Crystal recorded the conversation with Garner and turned it in as evidence to the authorities.
Additionally, his mother had looked through hospital records in Florida but couldn’t find any leads to locate her son. She had been pleading with the community for assistance before authorities found the remains of Ernesto Jacob Mederos.
Ernesto Jacob Mederos didn’t realize he had been traveling with a federal offender!
After such a tragic discovery, authorities looked for details of his travel partner and realized that Garner had been registered as a criminal in Texas. The Texas Police had detained him for physically assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2007.
Garner must serve on the legal registry for life and annually provide updates regarding his appearance and location. Initially, Mederos’ mother didn’t realize that her son had been working under such an individual.
Further, Mederos’s disappearance and cause of demise remain a mystery, and the sheriff’s departments across four Florida counties have denied the involvement of another party. His family has demanded answers from Garner.
Throughout the week of his disappearance, his mother posted flyers in the neighborhood and on her social accounts, hoping to get any information. She prayed for the safe return of her only son.
In one of her earlier posts, Crystal wrote, “Lord, we ask for your divine intervention to bring my son back safely. Please guide and protect him and bring him back to his family. In Jesus’ name, we pray.“
She also added that Mederos didn’t go long without talking with her. Crystal stated that her son knew her number by heart and would call her if he struggled with anything in his work or personal life.
Following Mederos’ discovery in Florida, the family set up a GoFundMe page with the goal to raise $25k to cover the funeral expenses. As of writing, the initiative has raised over $6.4k through 173 donations.
People hope Crystal and the family can send off their dear one with public support. They have shared the page on social media to help the family go through a difficult period.
Additional Information
- The Florid County Sheriff’s Office has requested anyone with information on Ernesto Mederos or Phillip Garner to contact 512-409-8762 or 911. An investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of his demise.
- Crystal had family members working in construction in Florida but hadn’t had any contact with Mederos before his unfortunate passing. Many suspect the police are concealing details about the case to control outrage.
