Chicago

Chicago Chef Found After Going Missing Last Week

Luis Mercarder was scheduled to host a relief benefit Thursday night at Bucktown's Animale restaurant but never showed up.

A 25-year-old chef who was reported missing last week from the Pilsen neighborhood has been found safe.

Luis Mercader went missing Nov. 8 from the 1800 block of West 21st Place, according to a missing person alert from Chicago Police.

Mercader works as a chef at Roister, 951 W. Fulton Market, a hip Near West Side restaurant that’s owned by the Alinea Group.

Police said Thursday morning that he had been found safe. Additional details were not provided.

His roommate told NBC 5 Mercader is always responsible and left his backpack at Roister.

"He's never done this before, that's why we're so worried," Pedro Prada said. Prada said he did speak to Mercader on the phone briefly Thursday afternoon.

"He sounded a little distracted," he said.

Prada said Mercader, who is originally from Puerto Rico, was scheduled to host a relief benefit Thursday night at Bucktown's Animale restaurant but never showed up.

"We talked a couple times," recalled Brian McGrath, the executive sous chef at Animale, adding that Mercader had told him he was on his way. "Then he stopped answering the phone."

"I'm really concerned for his mental health," McGrath said. "That’s where I’m at right now."

Mercader's father, also Luis, said he was proud of his son's efforts to put together a fundraiser.

"He was very excited about it," he said.

Luis’s father and uncle flew to Chicago over the weekend.

"That’s not him, that's not him," the elder Luis said. "He’s a happy guy."

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