UPDATE (1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7): As of Friday afternoon, two of the six people officially reported missing in our mountain area to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) have been located.
According to RCSD Correctional Sergeant Deanna Pecoraro, “Venessa Vlasek has been located safely and removed from the missing persons database.” No further details were available.
According to the Orange Police Department Dispatch Center, Officer Bryce Ayres located Jade Kemerer and Shane Wilcock in Kemerer’s vehicle at 11:40 a.m. Friday at the corner of Main Street and Town and Country Road in the city of Orange.
“Police found her and she appears fine,” said Eric Kemerer, Jade’s father, in a phone interview. “She lost her phone, which is why she wasn’t answering. I hope to hear from her soon.”
Melissa Lane was officially added to the system as a missing person on Aug. 5, according to Pecoraro. Lane, Rosario Garcia, Dia Abrams and Roy Prifogle remain missing.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Town Crier reached out to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) media information bureau over the weekend for updates on two more missing people who were last seen in the Idyllwild or surrounding areas in recent months — bringing the total to six confirmed missing people.
Photo courtesy of Kalie Dunlap
Rosario Garcia, Lydia “Dia” Abrams, Roy Prifogle, and Melissa Lane were reported missing in recent months. Additionally, on July 31, Jade Kemerer and Venessa Vlasek were both reported missing by family to RCSD.
“As for any updates on Roy, Dia, or Rosario, I do not have any available at this time,” wrote Deanna Pecoraro, RCSD correctional sergeant, in an email. “They are all still considered missing and placed into the system as a missing person.
“As always, we encourage the community and public to assist us in locating these missing persons. Anyone with information is asked to contact their local law enforcement. I have not heard any information regarding anyone asking family to not post information on social media.”
Melissa Lane, 41, was last seen June 15, according to a poster on display in the Mountain Center area.
The Town Crier spoke to Kathy Lamont, Lane’s mother, over the weekend.
“She was an avid hiker, but didn’t have a destination,” said Lamont. “She was last seen in Pine Cove. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive.”
According to Lamont, she called RCSD to report her daughter missing, but because Lane is an adult and didn’t have a destination, she was told there’s nothing they could do and to call them back if she heard anything.
“Melissa Lane was not placed into the system as a missing persons. She has not been reported at this time,” wrote Pecoraro in an email. After the Town Crier asked about the case number and badge number given to Lamont when she called RCSD Pecoraro responded, “The call you are referring to was taken on July 4 around 3:20 p.m. for a missing persons. After an investigation into the call, it was found that Melissa Lane was not considered a missing persons. Due to the circumstances, Melissa was not placed into the system as a missing persons.”
On July 31, Venessa Vlasek, 26, was reported missing by her sister Amber Haggerty who lives in Virginia. The Town Crier spoke to Haggerty right after she says she reported her sister missing.
Photo courtesy of Amber Haggerty
“My mom has not seen or spoken to my sister since Mother’s Day, which is very unusual of my sister,” said Haggerty. “The beginning of March or the end of February was the last I talked to her. It was a really short conversation. No one else has seen or heard from her in a month.”
On July 29, Vlasek’s mother called RCSD asking to check their arrest and hospital records, but nothing. She was last known to be in the Idyllwild area.
“Hemet Station received a report of Venessa Vlasek missing on July 31,” wrote Pecoraro in an email. “It is unknown of her whereabouts and also unknown a last sighting area. She has been placed into the system as a missing persons.”
On July 31, Kalie Dunlap, of Ohio, called the RCSD looking for her long-time friend Jade Kemerer.
“I haven’t heard from her in nine days and that’s really unusual,” said Dunlap.
According to Dunlap, deputies from RCSD responded to her last known address, which is Kemerer’s father’s home in the Anza area the morning of July 31, but he said he hadn’t seen her in two weeks.
“Hemet Station received a report of Jade Kemerer missing on Aug. 2,” wrote Pecoraro. “The Idyllwild area was searched by deputies but the deputies were unable to locate her. She has been placed into the system as a missing persons.”
According to Dunlap, Kemerer was last seen at the Bluebird Inn in Idyllwild by her mother on July 22. Kemerer drives a white 4-door Kia Optima with black painted wheels and an aftermarket Kia emblem on the back.
Rosario Garcia 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.
Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
“We are asking if anyone has any information or knows the whereabouts of Rosario Garcia to contact law enforcement immediately,” wrote Pecoraro in an earlier email.
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.
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.”
Photo courtesy of Lydia “Dia” Abrams
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.
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 overlooking 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.
Photo courtesy of Kendra Johnson
If you have any information about the whereabouts of Roy Prifogle, Dia Abrams, Rosario Garcia, Melissa Lane, Jade Kemerer, or Venessa Vlasek, contact the RCSD immediately at 800-950-2444.
