FOUND: Missing Haines City man found

Image 1 of 3

A Haines City woman who said her husband was had gone missing after looking at cars for sale reported he had been found.

Previously, Bessie Hernandez said her husband, Dominique, 35, left work in Lakeland around 6 p.m. Thursday. He called her to say he was cashing his check, and then would go to Sunshine Auto Mall to look at cars. He also said he may meet with a person who advertised a car for sale online.

Bessie said Dominique wrecked his vehicle a few weeks earlier and was driving a rental car while he looked for a car to buy.

Around 8:30 Thursday night, Bessie says Dominique called to say the person who advertised the car for sale had not returned his call, so he was heading home. He told her he was 20 minutes away from their house in Haines City, but was going to stop at a gas station on his way there.

That’s the last time Bessie heard from Dominique.

When she began contacting law enforcement later that evening, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office suggested she check his cell phone records. They share a cell phone plan, so Bessie logged on and found Dominique answered a call from a private number, only minutes after she spoke to him. His phone has been turned off ever since.

Bessie said family and friends have not heard from Dominique and are concerned for his well-being. She added he struggled with a drug problem in the past, but it was not like him to disappear without contacting someone.

Dominique is a white male with a thin build. He has blue eyes, a shaved head and a long goatee. He was last seen wearing dark blue jeans and a light blue, button up work shirt with a patch reading “Dom” and driving a red, 2016 Mustang with Florida license plate 929 HXN.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (863) 298-6200 and reference case number 16-38864.