Son Of Missing Portage Couple The Last Person To See Missing Teen
The person of interest in the disappearance of a Portage couple is also the last person to see a teen who has been missing for nearly three years.
Portage Department of Public Safety Director Nick Armold announced Thursday that Nick Johnson, the son of a missing Portage couple, is a person of interest in the disappearance of his parents. Now the mother of a teenager who went missing from Portage in 2018 has come forward saying Nick Johnson is the last person to see him.
The investigation began as a welfare check on Tuesday. Gary Johnson's boss contacted authorities after Gary had not logged onto work from home. Officers with the Portage Department of Public Safety became concerned after failing to make contact with Gary and Laura Johnson at their residence and made entry into the home located in the 2300 block of Romence Road in Portage, Michigan.
Once inside police found signs of violence. In the days since Nick Johnson was located living in the storage unit at a Portage apartment complex with his mother's car and was arrested on outstanding warrants. He remains in police custody at this time. A history of violence towards his parents has been brought to light. The couple had a no-contact order against their son, which has since expired. The couple had stated they feared for their safety.
The mother of missing person Bonifacio 'Facio' Pena, who was 17-year-old at the time of his disappearance in 2018, says Nick Johnson was the last person to see her son and in her mind has always been a person of interest in her son's disappearance.
Teresa Alfaro, Facio's mother, says that Nick and Facio were staying with a woman in Portage in May of 2018. On the day Facio was last seen, the woman told Facio's mother that she had given the boys bandanas to wear on a hotter than average day. Facio and Nick left the home together on foot. Later in the day, Nick returned to the home alone and with the bandana that was given to Facio.
The woman told Facio's mother that Nick was acting extremely anxious and frantic. Nick allegedly became possessive of Facio's belongings and the woman told Facio's mother that she had to sneak around in order to retrieve the teen's belongings to return to his mother.
Facio's mother says she has been in touch with the Portage Department of Public Safety in the days since the Johnson's disappearance. In her mind, Nick Johnson has always been the main person of interest.