NORTH BERGEN AND BEYOND — Ivan Concepcion hopes that his brother, who went missing in Atlantic City on Friday, is not hurt. “We just want him back,” he said.
Concepcion’s brother Martin Caballero, 47, of North Bergen, was last seen on Friday, May 21 at 10:30 p.m. outside the Taj Mahal casino. He had just dropped off his wife at the hotel’s entrance and was in Atlantic City to celebrate his daughter Jessica’s 22nd birthday with his family.
However, his family has not seen him since he left to park his 2009 Lincoln MKS in the self-park lot.
His ATM card was used around 1 a.m. on Saturday at a Bank of America in Egg Harbor Township, with $300 taken out of his account by a man who was in Caballero’s car. Concepcion said that his brother’s car was found on fire around 2:30 a.m. in Blackwood, N.J. with no one inside.
“My family has been handing out a lot of flyers in the area through the casino areas and the surrounding areas with his picture and a phone number for the Atlantic City Police Department, to see if anyone has seen him,” said Concepcion, who explained that family and friends from throughout the region have been travelling to Atlantic City to help. “That’s pretty much all of the work that we’ve been able to do, unfortunately.”
Concepcion said that there was “some truth” to the fact that Caballero took extra care of his car and would sometimes park away from other vehicles, but said there was no way to tell if he parked in an isolated section in the lot that night.
North Bergen Police said they have checked on his family and house several times without noting any suspicious activity. They also have reached out to the Atlantic City Police Department and offered their help on the case, but have not been asked to aid them.
“He’s a family man,” said Concepcion, who said Caballero has lived in North Bergen for most of his life. “He’s a hard working guy. He was bringing his daughter to celebrate her 22nd Birthday.”
Check back at www.hudsonreporter.com for updates. — Tricia Tirella
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