Missing Florida mother is found in shipping container

Marlene Lopez, 52, was reported missing last Monday

A woman has been found after reportedly spending three days trapped inside a shipping container in Florida, police said.

Marlene Lopez, 52, was reported missing last Monday after she disappeared from her home on Lucerne Drive in Cocoa, according to the local police department.

A co-worker alerted the police after she failed to pick up her son from school.

A search began for Ms Lopez with investigators looking into her “known locations,” interviewing family members and issuing a missing-person bulletin.

Marlene Lopez, the missing Florida mother found alive inside a shipping container (Cocoa Police Department)

Nearly 72 hours later, police were notified that the woman had been found after an individual heard banging coming from a locked shipping container in a business park area at 2005 N. Cocoa Blvd.

The individual unlocked the container and found Ms Lopez dehydrated but not injured. She was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation last Thursday.

Ms Lopez said that she did not know how she ended up in the container which is less than half a mile from her home, police reported.

Tyler Sonnenberg, who owns the shipping container, told local TV station WKMG that he saw Ms Lopez walking around the area on Monday.

Mr Sonnenberg said that he locked the container, which is used to store lawnmowers, on Tuesday afternoon.

Missing Florida woman, Marlene Lopez, after she was found inside a shipping container in Florida (WKMG)

He did not hear any noise coming from it on Wednesday, he added. It is unclear who heard Ms Lopez banging and released her.

Mr Sonnenberg said that he thought Ms Lopez became trapped in the container after she walked into the unit on her own, and passed out. He told WKMG that he was not at fault for Ms Lopez getting stuck inside the container.

The incident is under police investigation.