Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. of Angeles City, Pampanga, has announced a P100,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of beauty pageant candidate Geneva Lopez and her boyfriend, Yitshak Cohen, who have been missing for nearly two weeks. This reward follows an earlier offer of P250,000 by Lopez’s family, bringing the total reward to P350,000.
Geneva Lopez, a former Mutya ng Pilipinas 2024 candidate representing Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, and her Israeli boyfriend Yitshak Cohen were last seen on June 21. The couple reportedly traveled to Capas, Tarlac, to inspect a property. On June 22, their gray Nissan Terra SUV was found burning along the Capas-San Jose Road in Cristo Rey village, containing some belongings but no trace of the couple.
The case has seen a significant development with the discovery of an abandoned white sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Sitio Barbon, Barangay Tipac, Tarlac City. The vehicle is believed to be linked to the persons interested in the couple’s disappearance. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) recovered the SUV based on a tip-off from an informant. This SUV is reportedly the third vehicle associated with Geneva and Cohen, who were seen with a middleman en route to Capas, Tarlac.
The white SUV, registered to a man from Bacoor City, Cavite, has been handed over to the police’s Highway Patrol Group for further investigation. Meanwhile, the burning Nissan Terra found earlier, was pawned to its current owner, a man from Bulacan. Inside the charred vehicle, police discovered partially burned items belonging to Geneva, including an ATM card, a 1×1 photo, real estate documents, and a burned electronic device.
In response to the alarming situation, Yitshak’s family has also offered a P250,000 reward for any information leading to the couple’s discovery. The Tarlac Police Provincial Office has formed a committee on missing persons to expedite the investigation and establish any connections between the discovered vehicles and the missing couple.
Geneva Lopez, representing Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, in the Mutya ng Pilipinas Pampanga 2024, and Yitshak Cohen were last in contact on June 21. They had met with a middleman to inspect a property and parted ways in their respective vehicles. Reports indicate that the middleman is a former police officer assigned in Angeles City, who is also involved in business and property dealings.
Authorities are intensifying their efforts to solve the case, urging anyone with information to come forward and help bring Geneva Lopez and Yitshak Cohen home safely.