Deputy Mike Vasquez, public information officer Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed on Aug. 24 that the body found by a hiker on Sunday, Aug. 21 is that of Josephene Youssef, 71, of Pinyon.
Youssef had been missing since June 7 when she went for a walk from her family’s home in the 70-300 block of Highway 74 in Pinyon Pines.
Youssef was considered at risk since she suffered from dementia and spoke only Arabic. At the time of her disappearance, authorities conducted a ground and air search and rescue operation, but to no avail. Her family had organized a Facebook campaign and continued to have hope long after the official search had concluded.
Today that hope ended.