A 35-year-old Utah woman last seen at a beach bonfire the night of Thursday, November 6 at Rio Del Mar Beach has been missing for five days, and authorities are now finding reason to suspect her disappearance may have been the result of foul play.
The person seen below is 35-year-old Utah resident Danielle Staley, who was last seen at 11:23 pm on the night of Thursday, November 6 near Rio Del Mar State Beach in Aptos, in Santa Cruz County. And as KTVU reports, Staley has been missing for the five days ever since. She is described as being 5’ 6” inches tall, blond-haired, and weighing 120 pounds, and was last seen wearing a dark hoodie and leopard-print leggings.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has been on the case since Friday. But a Sunday update from the department put their investigation into a much darker light, as the Sheriff’s Office posted, “New information indicates she may be at risk, and foul play may be involved."
“We’re not ruling out foul play,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Zach West told the Chronicle today. “We’re not saying foul play is definitely involved, but some of the factors we look at are that she’s not from this area and has no ties to Santa Cruz. The fact that she was last seen with a group of people late at night on the beach — we just don’t know.”
Staley had been visiting California along with a friend, and both were staying in a camper van near Rio Del Mar State Beach (her travel companion is reportedly cooperating with authorities). But law enforcement officials are particularly concerned by the fact that her belongings were found abandoned at the beach, and she has been troublingly unresponsive to her family’s attempts to reach her.
“It’s uncharacteristic for her to not be in possession of her belongings,” West added to the Chronicle. “And she hasn’t been in touch with her family. This is outside of her normal behavior.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office at (831) 471-1121. Officials say they are are most interested in security or surveillance video from the areas of “Beach Drive, Rio Del Mar Boulevard, The Esplanade, or any nearby streets or pathways,” especially footage taken between November 5 and November 7.
Related: Missing Woman From The ‘Silver Alert’ That Rattled SF Phones Wednesday Night Has Been Found [SFist]
Image: Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office via Facebook
