# Elba Soccarras

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**Elba Leonor Diaz Soccarras** (born March 28, 1934) is a [Colombian](/source/Colombia)-born [American](/source/United_States) [amnesiac](/source/Amnesia) whose origins and identity were unknown to [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey) authorities for 14 years from 1994 to 2009. Suffering from advanced [Alzheimer's disease](/source/Alzheimer's_disease), Soccarras was unable to disclose information on her identity after she was abandoned at a New Jersey shopping mall.

## Background

### Discovery

On November 4, 1994, Soccarras was found at the [Woodbridge Center](/source/Woodbridge_Center) in [Woodbridge Township, New Jersey](/source/Woodbridge_Township,_New_Jersey). She spoke [Spanish](/source/Spanish_language), had no memory of her identity, and did not carry any identification. She was well groomed and wearing an engraved wedding ring.[1] She was unable to speak.[2] She recalled her name as "Elba."

Elba was placed in the Garrett Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in [Hunterdon County, New Jersey](/source/Hunterdon_County,_New_Jersey) where she was diagnosed with [Alzheimer's disease](/source/Alzheimer's_disease).[3][1]

In 2008, New Jersey officials renewed a canvassing campaign across the state, as well as in [Colombia](/source/Colombia) and [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela), in an effort to discover her true identity.[3] At the time, officials believed that she had been abandoned by a family member.[1]

### Identification

In March 2009, through tips from the public and aid from the Colombian consulate, authorities were able to identify her as 74-year-old Elba Leonor Diaz Soccarras, who had immigrated from Colombia to the United States in 1969. She was born on March 28, 1934, in [Villanueva, La Guajira](/source/Villanueva,_La_Guajira).[4] As a single mother, she had worked for years in a factory. Officials learned that she had a daughter living in New Jersey the entire time she was unidentified.[5] The daughter said they had a disagreement and she had thought that Elba had returned to Colombia years ago.[2] By establishing her citizenship, authorities were able to transfer her from Garrett Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital to a [nursing home](/source/Nursing_home).[6][7]

## See also

- [Anthelme Mangin](/source/Anthelme_Mangin)
- [Benjaman Kyle](/source/Benjaman_Kyle)
- [List of solved missing person cases: 1950–1999](/source/List_of_solved_missing_person_cases:_1950%E2%80%931999)
- [Unidentified decedent](/source/Unidentified_decedent)

## References

1. Hartocollis, Anemona (2008-10-21). ["For a Jane Doe, Seeking an Identity and Immigration Status"](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/nyregion/21jane.html). *The New York Times*. [ISSN 0362-4331](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 2022-04-03.

1. Henry, Samantha (29 Mar 2009). ["Restoring a 'Jane Doe's' identity"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-mar-29-adna-janedoe29-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250403155946/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-mar-29-adna-janedoe29-story.html) 3 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 Apr 2025.

1. ["NJ Woman Still Unidentified After 14 Years"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080910061402/http://www.wcbs880.com/NJ-Woman-Still-Unidentified-After-14-Years/2925552). Archived from [the original](http://www.wcbs880.com/NJ-Woman-Still-Unidentified-After-14-Years/2925552) on September 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-08.

1. ["Identifican a una mujer que estuvo extraviada 14 años"](https://www.lacapital.com.ar/edicion-impresa/identifican-una-mujer-que-estuvo-extraviada-14-antildeos-n667782.html). *La Capital*. Retrieved 2025-03-27.

1. Plata, Juliana (2009-03-24). ["Tras 15 años de su desaparición, una colombiana es identificada en New Jersey"](https://www.wradio.com.co/noticias/actualidad/tras-15-anos-de-su-desaparicion-una-colombiana-es-identificada-en-new-jersey/20090324/nota/783355.aspx) (in Spanish). *W Radio*. Retrieved 2025-03-27.

1. ["NJ Jane Doe Found in 1994 is Identified"](http://www.wcbs880.com/-Jane-Doe--Identified-after-15-Years/4062431). Retrieved 2009-03-22. [dead link]

1. McShane, Larry (May 10, 2009). ["Dumped like trash at a mall"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99706961/daily-news/). *[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)*

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Elba Soccarras](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elba_Soccarras) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elba_Soccarras?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.