missing teen

BODY FOUND IN LA MESA IDENTIFIED AS EL CAJON TEEN MISSING SINCE FEBRUARY: REWARD OFFERED FOR INFORMATION

East County News Service

November 13, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The San Diego County Medical Examiner has identified a body found on March 13 in La Mesa  as that of Cassidy Hopwood, according to El Cajon Police.  Hopwood, an El Cajon resident, was reported missing in February.

Both La Mesa and El Cajon Police have listed Hopwood’s age as 17. However, on Facebook, the RAD movement, an organization that helps families locate missing teens, states that she was 16 when she went missing and when she was found dead.

The group also leveled criticism at police handling of the case.


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GIRL, 15, MISSING FROM SPRING VALLEY MAY HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED, FAMILY FEARS

By Miriam Raftery

Photos:f Alena Mitchem, known as Gracie; her hair  was dyed green when she was last seen

September 29, 2022 (Spring Valley) – The family of 15-year-old Alena “Gracie” Mitchem is asking for public help to find her. She has been missing form her Spring Valley home since late at night on September 22.  Gracie has green eyes and brown hair, but her hair was dyed green when she was last seen, according to a listing on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 155 pounds. (Note, some flyers had a misspelling. Her first name is Alena.)

Her sister, Aleena Christine Jones, posted on Facebook, “We believe she was lured out by someone online via the PlayStation platform...She took important documents that no child would think of…She’s had zero contact with anyone since her disappearance, no social media presence whatsoever… We have to bring her home.… Gracie we love you so much.”

Gracie’s mother, Shannon Hoffman, believes her daughter was lured by an adult. She is frustrated with the Sheriff’s initial response treating the matter as a runaway case, and by the lack of media notification, but added that detectives are now checking into the Playstation contacts. “As a mother, I know deep down something is wrong,” she posted, adding that she suspects someone enticed Gracie with a promise of a job, since the family has struggled financially.


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LEMON GROVE TEEN, MISSING SINCE JULY 31, LAST SEEN GETTING INTO CAR WITH MAN

By Miriam Raftery

August 18, 2020 (Lemon Grove) – The Sheriff seeks public help to locate Alonna Wintland. The 15-year-old was last seen leaving her home in the 8000 block of Lemon Grove Way and getting into the car of an unknown man on July 31.

She has blonde/purple hair, blue eyes, stands 5 ft. 2 inches tall and weighs around 235 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, beige shorts and sandals.

She has a history of running away, but left without her cell phone or debit card.


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TEEN GIRL, 15, MISSING FROM ESCONDIDO SINCE JULY 22 WITH PET SNAKE

 

East County News Service

August 4, 2017 (Escondido) – Public help is sought to help locating Seraphine Bustillos, a missing Escondido 15-year-old who may have left home with a foot-and-a-half long ball python snake and a black backpack.  She has hair dyed black, blue eyes, pierced ears, and is 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 110 pounds.


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WITNESS SAYS HE SAW MICKEY GUIDRY THE DAY TEEN VANISHED IN THE ANZA-BORREGO DESERT BACK IN 2009

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

August 28, 2016 (Anza-Borrego Desert) – A reader of East County Magazine has come forward to say that he saw Mickey James Guidry , then 16, at the site where the Jeep driven by the teen broke down in the Anza-Borrego Desert over Thanksgiving weekend back in November 2009—just before Mickey went missing  The witness says he saw Mickey speaking with a couple who offered him a ride, and showed him a map with possible routes Mickey may have later taken on foot.   

The Jeep Mickey was driving was found 22-miles along Fish Creek Wash, its tire worn down to the rim and bumper torn off. Mickey’s wallet and ID were left in the Jeep. His cell phone was not working.  To this day, nobody knows if he managed to walk out or get a ride and go away voluntarily.


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MISSING TEEN, 14, LAST SEEN IN LA MESA FRIDAY NIGHT

 

Update Oct. 6, 2015 - La Mesa Police report that this missing juvenile has been found with friends in Imperial Beach and has been returned to her family.

Update Oct. 4, 2015 1 p.m. - Olivia's mother confirms that a friend received an Instragram message that appears to be from Olivia.  The message indicates she is safe but does not want to come home.  It is not certain whether the message was sent by Olivia or possibly by someone with access to her account.

East County News Service

October 4, 2015 (La Mesa) – Public help is sought to locate Olivia Miller, 14, A Guatay resident who vanished Friday night in La Mesa. She was last seen at 7 p.m. at the Journey Community Church at 8363 Center Drive.

According to La Mesa Police dispatch, Olivia is 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighs 110 pounds, has black hair and green eyes. She was last seen wearing a white baseball cap, black shirt and black pants. She may also have been wearing a white cardigan and carrying a brown backpack, her mother has advised East County Magazine.

Olivia’s mother, Sherrie Jockell, says Olivia had a picnic dinner with family at the church before services.  An assistant teacher in a class at church, Olivia never made it to class after dinner.  Family realized she was missing after the service, when she did not return to their car.  Olivia made no mention of going anywhere after church to her friends or family.


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SIGHTINGS OF MISSING TEXAS TEEN REPORTED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

 

January 9, 2014 (San Diego) – Several recent sightings have been reported of missing 16-year-old Arielle Randall in the San Diego-Carlsbad areas, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

The Center is asking for public help to locate the missing Texas teen, who may be in the company of an unknown male.  Arielle is black and Hispanic, with brown hair and eyes. She is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. She has pierced ears.  She was last seen leaving her home in Grand Prairie, Texas on November 13, 2013 and has not been heard from since.


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13-YEAR-OLD GIRL MISSING SINCE AUGUST

 

October 16, 2013 (Chula Vista) -- The Chula Vista Police Department today asked public help to locate a  missing / runaway teen.  Venicia Ortiz, age 13, was last seen in the 4200 Block of National Avenue in San Diego on or around August 7, 2013.

According to police, she  did not leave under duress.  There has been no evidence to indicate foul play, however, the police are concerned about her well being.  She is Hispanic, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weight 150 pounds, with brown eyes and long, black curly hair. She was last seen wearing a dark gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.

Download a flyer here.


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NEW DETAILS ON MISSING TEEN ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ, 16

 

August 18, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Elizabeth Rodriguez, 16, of Spring Valley has been missing since August 11. The San Diego Sheriff’s office is treating the case as a runaway, according to Detective Ward at the Lemon Grove Sheriff substation. However her parents have posted flyers asking the public to help locate their daughter, who was last seen Friday, August 11 in Lakeside at 12:45 a.m.
 


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MISSING GIRL, 13, LAST SEEN IN EL CAJON

August 5, 2011 (El Cajon ) – San Diego Police seek help to locate Natasha Martin, 13. She was last seen July 29 in the vicinity of Main Street and Anza Avenue in El Cajon. Natasha, who is African-American, has brown hair and blue eyes. She is 5 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds.


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TEEN GIRL MISSING IN COLLEGE AREA

 

Update: This missing person has been located, San Diego Police reports.

July 27, 2011 (San Diego)—Ariana Khair, 19, was last seen on Saturday, July 23 in the area of 5400 El Cajon Blvd in San Diego, San Diego Police reported today.


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MISSING TEEN, 14, VANISHED JULY 15 IN BONITA; POSSIBLE SIGHITNG IN SAN DIEGO

 

July 26, 2011 (Bonita) – San Diego Sheriff’s office today notified media that 14-year-old Luke Roundy, aka Michael McWilliams, disappeared the night of July 15. The teen and his family are from Texas and were staying with relatives in the 3800 block of Alta Loma Drive in Bonita.

 


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MISSING GIRL, 15, LAST SEEN LEAVING SCHOOL BUS IN EAST SAN DIEGO MONDAY


 

Update April 21: A source close to the family informs ECM that Sotelo has returned safely home.

 

April 13, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Police this evening alerted media that 15-year-old Valeria Sotelo has been missing since Monday April 11 at 5 p.m. She was last seen exiting her school bus at Orange and Euclid Avenue.

Sotelo is Hispanic, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown eyes, brown hair, and a medium complexion. She was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans, and black Converse tennis shoes and is considered "at risk," according to an SDPD media release.


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MISSING MENTALLY IMPAIRED GIRL, 17, DISAPPEARS NEAR TROLLEY IN SAN DIEGO

Update 10:45 p.m.:  This missing person has been found safe in Tijuana.

January 28, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Police seek the public’s help to find a missing juvenile at risk. Lorena Perez-Estrada, 17, has the mental capacity of a much younger person. She speaks Spanish and has a speech impediment. She was wearing a short-sleeve purple T-shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. She has scars on the back of her hands and no lower teeth.  She is 5 feet tall with a thin build, black hair, and brown eyes.

 

“She was last seen running off toward the trolley, probably around 3 p.m.,” Officer David Stafford told East County Magazine.  Lorena is a resident of Tijuana, Mexico but disappeared while in San Diego with her family today. Her mother called police to 1500 Imperial Avenue at 3:05 p.m.


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TEEN GIRL MISSING IN EAST COUNTY: LAST SEEN AT SANTEE TACO BELL


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SEARCHES SAT. & SUNDAY FOR MISSING TEEN MICKEY GUIDRY

 

Friends of missing teen Mickey Guidry’s family are mounting a search this weekend in the Anza Borrego desert. Volunteers are needed to scour a massive area. To date some 200 have signed up to participate. Searches will begin Saturday, March 20 at 9 a.m. and end Sunday, March 21 at 5 p.m. Volunteers should meet northwest of the intersection of S2 and Highway 78. 

 


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PARENTS, POLICE ISSUE PUBLIC PLEA FOR HELP TO FIND MISSING TEEN


VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR SEARCH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
 

February 26, 2010 (Rancho Bernardo) 6 p.m. – Chelsea King remains missing, more than 24 hours after she disappeared while jogging around Lake Hodges near the Rancho Bernardo Community Center on West Bernardo Drive, where her locked car was parked. The Poway High School honor student is described as “responsible, conscientious, loving, intelligent, cherished by all who know her,” according to an e-mail sent on behalf of the family today.
 

NOTE:  National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says her hair is dyed red; family site says strawberry blond --- early news reports said blond.


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WHAT HAPPENED TO MICKEY GUIDRY? SAN MARCOS TEEN WENT MISSING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND NEAR OCOTILLO CAMP IN ANZA-BORREGO; WHEREABOUTS REMAIN A MYSTERY


Questions raised over early handling of case; no major search mounted for weeks after Jeep SUV found disabled 22 miles off-road in remote desert locale

 

“Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest of the year. Tens of thousands of people were in the desert…It’s likely someone would have come across him. If it was at night and he was on foot, someone could have given him a ride.” -- Detective Patrick Yates

 

By Miriam Raftery

 

February 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) - Grounded for stealing his stepfather's motorcycle and going joyriding November 20th in a Riverside County park, 16-year-old Mickey Guidry (also called Mike or Mikey) took his parents’ blue Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV on Thanksgiving to join friends who were camping at 5454 Split Mountain Road in Ocotillo Wells. He left camp at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 27th—and hasn’t been seen since. Now ECM has learned that this wasn't the first time the teen has gone missing. Sheriff officials are treating the case as a runaway.

 

But the boy's mother, Missy Perucca, believes her son made it out of the desert alive and may now be living elsewhere--and hopes he didn't meet with foul play.  "I just hope someone somewhere knows something and reports it to the police so we can finally have a direction to go in," she said. 


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BOY, 16, MISSING IN ANZA BORREGO DESERT SINCE LATE NOVEMBER

 

December 22, 2009 (Anza Borrego) – San Diego Sheriff reported on December 18 that Mickey Guidry, 16, has been missing since November 26th when he ran away from his parents’ home in San Marcos. Guidry reportedly took his parents’ 1995 Jeep Cherokee without permission. On November 30th, the Jeep was located unoccupied in an extremely remote area of the Anza Borrego Desert.


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