Ruth Medina, Sister of a Minor in the Las Malvinas Case, Disappears

Authorities in Ecuador are urgently seeking the public's help to find Ruth Kataleya Medina Lajones, a teenager who has been reported missing. Ruth is the sister of Steven Medina, one of four minors brutally murdered in December 2024 in a case that became known as "Las Malvinas."

Ruth was last seen on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in the Las Malvinas neighborhood of Guayaquil. She was reportedly walking towards her school, wearing her blue school uniform. Her disappearance was officially announced on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, by the State Attorney General's Office and the National Police.

This disappearance occurs amidst a backdrop of tragedy for the Medina family. Steven Medina was one of four boys, aged between 11 and 15, detained by military patrol on December 8, 2024, following an alert about a supposed robbery. Their charred remains were discovered on December 24, 2024. Adding to the family's grief, Ruth's other sister, Adriana Arroyo Ayoví, 21, was murdered in Guayaquil on May 1, 2026, shot multiple times by assailants on a motorcycle as she returned home from an outing.

Law enforcement is appealing to anyone with information regarding Ruth's whereabouts to contact them immediately at 1800 DELITO (335486). The Fiscalía promises absolute confidentiality for informants, emphasizing that any tip could be crucial in locating the missing teenager.