Case file
Key facts
- Name: Ruben Almon Carranza
- Age at disappearance: 36
- Missing since: July 29, 2025 (last confirmed alive at about 3:30 a.m.)
- Location: Greensburg, Pennsylvania; his car was later found concealed off Ridge Road in Acme, Pennsylvania
- Description: About 5’7″–5’8″ and 130–135 pounds (police releases and family flyers differ slightly), brown eyes, dark brown or black hair, gauged ears, wears black-framed glasses, and many distinctive tattoos — including “SINK” and “SWIM” across his knuckles and a dagger with “Fear is the mind killer” on his right forearm. He is a tattoo artist.
- Vehicle: White 2002 Toyota Avalon, Pennsylvania plate HSG-7080 — borrowed from his grandfather on July 28, 2025; recovered August 9, 2025, purposely concealed in woods off Ridge Road, Acme
- NamUs case: MP148755
- Reward: $3,000 for verified, credible information leading to his location
- Status: Still missing — one year after he vanished, Ruben Carranza has still not been found
- Investigating agency: Greensburg Police Department, (724) 834-3800 (case GB-25-05261; tips may be anonymous)
The borrowed car
Ruben Almon Carranza, 36, is a tattoo artist from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. On Monday, July 28, 2025, he borrowed his grandfather’s white 2002 Toyota Avalon. His mother, Dawn Rose, was in Canada for a family reunion when her father called to say Ruben had taken the car and had not returned it.
What began as frustration became fear. Ruben’s phone showed no activity after the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 29 — no calls, no texts, no social media. He was last confirmed alive at about 3:30 a.m. on July 29, driving near Sidney Street in Southwest Greensburg. His phone’s final connection was to a tower in the Mount Pleasant Township area, near Devil Dog Drive. Then, silence.
Greensburg Detective Sergeant Justin Scalzo later said of Ruben: “He’s never disappeared before.” Ruben had never previously gone more than a few hours without someone knowing where he was.
The search — and the car in the woods
Police focused first on the Westmoreland County places Ruben knew: Mammoth Park, Linn Run State Park, Beam Rocks and the surrounding Laurel Highlands, with help from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Drones and ground teams were used. They found no sign of him — no clothing, no belongings, no confirmed trace.
On August 5, 2025, Greensburg police first publicized the disappearance. On August 9, a citizen found the Toyota Avalon off Ridge Road in Acme, a rural community southeast of Greensburg. Police did not describe it as simply parked: they said it had been purposely concealed — positioned off a trail and hidden in the woods on private property.
Investigators believe the car was placed there on August 5, the same day the disappearance became public, and they have said publicly that they do not believe that timing was a coincidence. Evidence indicated the Avalon had first been taken to another, unidentified location on July 29 before later being moved to Ridge Road. Investigators later obtained DNA and fingerprint results from the vehicle and sought comparison samples from people who may have been involved in moving it. Police have said they strongly believe someone in the Acme area knows something.
A family waiting
In the first days, family members raised concerns about Ruben’s mental health and the possibility that he might harm himself. After the car was found deliberately hidden, his mother said she was no longer certain self-harm explained what had happened. By October 2025, Dawn Rose said publicly that the family feared Ruben was dead, and that investigators had shared evidence with the family that had not been made public.
“I just want my son back. I just want answers,” she said. The family offered $1,500 for verified, credible information leading to Ruben’s location; a concerned citizen pledged another $1,500, bringing the reward to $3,000.
What is not known
Almost everything after 3:30 a.m. on July 29, 2025, is unknown: where Ruben went after borrowing the car, who he communicated with before his phone went silent, where the Avalon was taken on July 29, who moved it to Ridge Road on August 5 and why, and whether Ruben was ever in the car after July 29. Police have not announced a conclusion — and the concealed car is the fact that keeps this case open: a car does not hide itself.
Have information?
Contact the Greensburg Police Department at (724) 834-3800 and reference case GB-25-05261. Tips may be anonymous. Police particularly want to hear from anyone who was in or near Acme between July 29 and August 9, 2025, who saw a white sedan, a second vehicle, headlights entering the woods off Ridge Road, or someone walking along the road. A $3,000 reward is offered for verified, credible information leading to Ruben’s location.
Timeline
- July 28, 2025 — Ruben borrows his grandfather’s white 2002 Toyota Avalon (PA plate HSG-7080).
- July 29, 2025, ~3:30 a.m. — Last confirmed alive, driving near Sidney Street in Southwest Greensburg. His phone last connects near Devil Dog Drive, Mount Pleasant Township, then goes silent.
- August 5, 2025 — Greensburg police first publicize the disappearance. Police believe the Avalon is placed off Ridge Road, Acme, this same day.
- August 9, 2025 — A citizen finds the Avalon purposely concealed in woods off Ridge Road, Acme.
- August 19, 2025 — A concerned citizen pledges an additional $1,500, bringing the reward to $3,000 (Greensburg Police Department).
- October 2025 — Ruben’s mother says the family fears he is dead, based in part on evidence investigators shared privately with the family.
- July 2026 — One-year coverage: Ruben Carranza still has not been found. Investigators have DNA and fingerprint results from the vehicle and are seeking comparison samples.
- October 20, 2026 — Rechecked for this case file: no report of Ruben Carranza being found has been published.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Ruben Carranza still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Ruben Carranza has not been found — more than a year after he disappeared on July 29, 2025. One-year coverage in July 2026 confirmed the case remains open and unsolved.
Where was Ruben Carranza last seen?
He was last confirmed alive at about 3:30 a.m. on July 29, 2025, driving near Sidney Street in Southwest Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in a borrowed white 2002 Toyota Avalon. His phone last connected near Devil Dog Drive in Mount Pleasant Township.
What happened to Ruben Carranza?
Nobody knows publicly. The strongest known fact is his car: investigators believe the Avalon was taken to an unidentified location on July 29, then moved on August 5 — the day his disappearance was publicized — and purposely concealed in woods off Ridge Road in Acme, where a citizen found it on August 9. Who moved it has not been publicly identified.
What does Ruben Carranza look like?
He is about 5’7″–5’8″ and 130–135 pounds, with brown eyes, dark brown or black hair, gauged ears, and extensive tattoos, including “SINK” and “SWIM” across his knuckles, a dagger with “Fear is the mind killer” on his right forearm, and “Let the wild rumpus start” on his right hand.
Is there a reward?
Yes — $3,000 for verified, credible information leading to Ruben’s location ($1,500 from his family plus $1,500 pledged by a concerned citizen).
Who is investigating?
The Greensburg Police Department, at (724) 834-3800, case GB-25-05261. His NamUs case number is MP148755.
How can I help?
Share his photograph and tattoo descriptions in Westmoreland County, and contact Greensburg police with any information — especially anything you saw near Ridge Road in Acme between July 29 and August 9, 2025.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Greensburg Police Department and Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office releases (case GB-25-05261; (724) 834-3800; the August 19, 2025 police post confirming the reward rose to $3,000; police statements that the Avalon was purposely concealed, was placed off Ridge Road on August 5, and that someone in the Acme area knows something).
- News: WTAE-TV Pittsburgh — original August 2025 coverage and July 2026 one-year anniversary reporting on Ruben Carranza’s disappearance.
- News: WPXI and CBS Pittsburgh (KDKA) — August 2025 coverage of the search and the concealed vehicle.
- Reference: NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System), case MP148755 — Ruben Almon Carranza, missing from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, since July 29, 2025.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 20, 2026.