The Town Crier reached out to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) media information bureau over the weekend for updates on three missing people that were last seen in the Idyllwild or surrounding areas in recent months — Rosario Garcia, Lydia “Dia” Abrams and Roy Prifogle.
RCSD Correctional Sergeant Deanna Pecoraro wrote in an email, “As of now, we do not have any additional updates to provide.”
Photo by Halie Wilson
A possible fourth individual may have gone missing, but is not in the RCSD system. Melissa Lane, 41, was last seen June 15, according to a poster on display in the Mountain Center area. No further details are available.
“We do not have her listed as a missing person and I was unable to locate any information on law enforcement being advised of her disappearance,” Pecoraro wrote.
Photo courtesy of the Riverside County
Sheriff’s Department
One of the three missing people in RCSD system is Rosario Garcia. She was last seen July 7 wearing a brown shirt and blue jeans at the 26000 block of Katherine Street in Hemet. Garcia is a 73-year-old Hispanic female and it is possible she suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. She is 5’ 3” tall and 120 pounds.
Palm Desert deputies from the RCSD were dispatched to the area of 70000 East Highway 74 in Pinyon Pines at 11:46 a.m. on July 9 after Garcia’s vehicle was found unoccupied. Garcia was not located after a search of the area was conducted.
“We are asking if anyone has any information or knows the whereabouts of Rosario Garcia to contact law enforcement immediately,” wrote Pecoraro.
Earlier in the year, local Roy Prifogle was reported missing after going on a hike in the Pine Cove area Wednesday, March 4. He left home at about 1 p.m. and was last seen at the Pine Cove Market at 6:30 p.m. on the same day. He was last seen wearing a red backpack and jeans.
Photo courtesy of Lydia ‘Dia’ Abrams
RCSD Deputy Jeremy Parsons said, “After six full days of searching in between inclement weather, searching 8 to 10 hours per day, Prifogle has not been located. The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU), as well as search and rescue volunteers from San Bernardino County, Orange County, and San Diego County, were assisting. In total, about 150 people have been searching during those six days.” Also adding, “On the second or third day of the search, we found his backpack, but have found no other clues as to his whereabouts.”
On Sunday, June 7 at approximately 8:24 a.m., Hemet Station Deputies were dispatched to the 58000 block of Bonita Vista in reference to a missing person. Lydia “Dia” Abrams was placed into the system as a missing person.
Photo courtesy of
Kendra Johnson
Abrams is 65 years old, 5’ 5” tall, 130 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black and turquoise jack, yellow shirt and blue jeans. According to RMRU, their team of volunteers was dispatched to Abrams’ 160-acre ranch in the Apple Canyon area (between Mountain Center and Garner Valley) on June 9. They conducted a search from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no success of finding Abrams.
RMRU went out again on June 10 to search more difficult areas on the property including a creek bed and the hills over-looking her ranch. All assignments were completed by 6 p.m. At that point, detectives took over the investigation and called off the physical ground search.
If you have any information of the whereabouts of Roy Prifogle, Dia Abrams or Rosario Garcia contact the RCSD immediately at 800-950-2444.
