Gerardo “Jerry” Tarango, a 61-year-old retired Air Force veteran and beloved Ouray resident, vanished more than five weeks ago while driving to Salt Lake City. His dark gray 2008 Ford pickup with a camper shell was discovered abandoned on a remote dirt road in Emery County, Utah, yet Jerry remains missing, leaving family, friends, and an entire community gripped by worry.
A Dependable Man Who Simply Disappeared
Jerry Tarango is the kind of person everyone counts on.
He served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring honorably, then settled in Ouray where he worked maintenance at the Ouray Riverside Resort. Co-owner Amber Perkins told reporters Jerry never missed a day of work in years. “It’s so concerning and out of character,” she said, voice cracking.
He left Ouray on February 26, 2024, planning a quick trip to Salt Lake City. He was due back at the resort on March 7. When he didn’t show up and stopped answering calls and texts, his coworkers knew something was terribly wrong.
The Last Known Movements
Investigators believe Jerry traveled west on I-70 through Colorado and into Utah. Cell phone pings and witness tips suggest he may have exited near Green River and headed north toward Price on Highway 6, or possibly took back roads into the San Rafael Swell region.
On April 2, 2024, Utah Highway Patrol located his 2008 dark gray Ford pickup truck with Colorado plate DGZ-247 on a remote dirt road off I-70 in Emery County. The truck was locked, with no signs of foul play. His belongings were inside, but Jerry was gone.
Massive Search Yields No Trace
For three intense days in early April, search teams from Emery County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, and volunteer units combed the area using helicopters, drones, ground teams, and cadaver dogs.
They found nothing.
The terrain is brutal: vast desert, deep canyons, loose rock, and almost no cell service. Late winter temperatures swing from freezing nights to warm days, and water sources are scarce. Experienced hikers have perished in this exact region after underestimating the conditions.
What Jerry Looks Like – Please Look Twice
- Height: 5’8”
- Weight: approx. 170 lbs
- Eyes: Hazel
- Hair: Brown and balding (usually wears a ball cap)
- Often seen wearing outdoor clothing, jeans, boots, and a jacket
He is an avid hiker and outdoorsman who knows the mountains well, but even experts can suffer a fall, dehydration, or hypothermia in remote desert areas.
Community Refuses to Give Up Hope
Back in Ouray, the tightness of worry is palpable. Coworkers have posted flyers from Grand Junction to Moab. Friends check missing persons pages daily. Veterans groups have shared his photo across the West.
“Jerry is family to us,” Amber Perkins said. “He would never just disappear. Someone has seen something. Please come forward.”
Anyone who traveled I-70 between Grand Junction and Green River from late February through early April, or who visited the San Rafael Swell area, is urged to think back. Even the smallest detail—seeing a gray Ford pickup with a camper, a man hiking alone, or anything unusual—could be the break investigators need.
Contact Ouray County Sheriff’s Office through WestCO Dispatch at 970-249-9110 or Emery County Sheriff’s Office at 435-381-2404 with any information, no matter how small.
Jerry Tarango served his country and spent years quietly helping others. Now western Colorado and Utah are searching for him. Until he is brought home, the mountains feel a little emptier and the nights a little colder.
If you have any information, please call. A veteran, a friend, a good man is still out there.
