Marlene Lopez, a 52-year-old Florida mother, who had vanished earlier in the week, was discovered in a most unexpected location: inside a shipping container. This resolution to her disappearance came after her absence was reported to the authorities by a worried co-worker. Lopez was last seen at her residence on Monday, and concerns escalated when she failed to pick up her son, leading to her being reported missing on Wednesday. The pivotal moment in the search for Lopez occurred on Thursday afternoon when her presence was revealed by the sounds of her banging on the locked door of the shipping container, situated adjacent to a business on Cocoa Boulevard. The Cocoa Police Department shared this news through a Facebook statement, bringing a mix of relief and mystery to the community.

The Investigation Continues

Florida Mother Found Alive After Days Missing in Shipping Container
Marlene Lopez, the woman involved in the incident

The circumstances leading up to Lopez’s entrapment within the container remain unclear, with police continuing their investigation into how she ended up locked inside. Tyler Sonnenberg, the owner of the shipping container, recounted to WKMG his encounter with Lopez. He noticed her in the vicinity on Monday, the day she was last seen. The container, which he typically used for storing lawnmowers, was locked by Sonnenberg on Tuesday afternoon. With no sounds heard on Wednesday, it was only by chance that Lopez’s signals for help were detected. Sonnenberg speculates that Lopez might have entered the unit on her own and then passed out, absolving himself of responsibility for her predicament. As the investigation progresses, authorities are piecing together the sequence of events that led to this alarming situation.